I'm ruined, says Thatcher
2004-11-26 08:47
Abigail Isaacs and Andre Gouws
Cape Town - Mark Thatcher, who appeared in a Cape Town court on Thursday, is "furious" about his arrest in South Africa, the British edition of the magazine, Vanity Fair, reports in its January issue.
"Angry? Yes, I think I can publicly say that being arrested will make anyone angry," he told journalist Vickey Ward in an interview.
The criminal case against Thatcher was postponed in the Wynberg magistrate's court to April 8 next year. He briefly appeared on charges of contravening the Foreign Military Assistance Act. His R2m bail was extended. He still has to report to the Wynberg police station every day between 08:00 and 16:00.
Thatcher is one of 27 accused suspected of planning to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea in March this year. He will be tried in absentia in that country.
Feels like a floating body
In his interview with Vanity Fair, Thatcher for the first time indicated how he felt about the matter. He claimed his business career has been left in ruins and his life "destroyed" by charges he helped to bankroll the failed coup.
The Australian reported that friends say Thatcher is beginning to show the strain of facing the threat of a 12-year jail sentence in South Africa or, worse, extradition to Equatorial Guinea and its brutal prison regime.
He admitted some friends and business partners had already deserted him while his legal battle was just beginning.
"Who will want to deal with me after this?" he asked.
Where he used to receive many emails every day, this volume has now dropped to three because his mail is being monitored.
Ward writes that Thatcher was "stunned" by his arrest. He knew the Scorpions wanted to talk to him, but he did not realise that he was the target of their investigation.
Thatcher said his movements were now restricted in South Africa and he no longer took part in things he likes such as motor racing entertainment and business transactions.
"Thank God my father is not alive to see this," Vanity Fair quotes Thatcher as saying.
He said he speaks to his mother, former British premier Margaret Thatcher, twice a week about the case. He did not want to say how she feels about the matter. He told the magazine he feels like a body floating down the Colorado River and there was nothing he could do about it.