Spoetnik
20-01-05, 15:34
Thatcher 'directly involved in coup'
David Leigh
Thursday January 20, 2005
The Guardian
Troubles deepened for Lady Thatcher's disgraced son last night when a self-confessed coup plotter surfaced to accuse him of direct involvement in the attempt to overthrow the regime in Equatorial Guinea.
Crause Steyl, the mercenary pilot who was to have been the star witness against Mark Thatcher had his trial in South Africa gone ahead, told Channel 4 News that Sir Mark's role had been kept secret, because "his mother was the previous prime minister of England".
Mr Steyl described meeting Sir Mark to select a helicopter on which a gun could be mounted.
He also alleged that the Spanish government appeared to acquiesce in the plot.
When asked: "Does Mark Thatcher's story that he knew nothing about the chopper being used in the coup attempt stack up?" Mr Steyl replied: "No it doesn't ... as far as I'm concerned not."
Sir Mark was convicted in South Africa last week and fined £270,000 after a plea bargain in which he escaped trial and possible jail in return for admitting a limited role. He conceded that he had hired a helicopter, realising it "might" be used for mercenary activity.
But Mr Steyl alleged that Greg Wales, a business associate of the old Etonian, ex-SAS officer Simon Mann, helped to recruit mercenaries and people willing to finance the coup.
He said: "Simon told me that I had to meet one of the investors in his project ... and that Greg would introduce me ... I was introduced to someone [at Lanseria airport, near Johannesburg] who didn't give me his name. I gave him mine and then after a while it became apparent that the man was Mark. He came up from Cape Town."
Mr Steyl alleged that Sir Mark became directly involved in testing a military aircraft.
"The helicopter that Mark had in mind ... I sent someone down to test fly it ... Mark happened to go with this guy ... The guy reported back and said it won't be suitable for this purpose.
"I advised Simon who advised Mark that this helicopter won't suit our needs. Mark said we must decide what we must do and I said we can hire a lighter model."
Mr Steyl says he believes the then Spanish government acquiesced in the coup attempt, because he and the exiled would-be president, Severo Moto, were allowed to return to Spanish territory after the coup attempt failed, without proper papers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/equatorialguinea/story/0,15013,1394507,00.html
Uiteraard ontkennen Mark Tatcher en de Partido Popular (destijds aan de macht in Spanje) de beschuldigingen van deze huurling.
David Leigh
Thursday January 20, 2005
The Guardian
Troubles deepened for Lady Thatcher's disgraced son last night when a self-confessed coup plotter surfaced to accuse him of direct involvement in the attempt to overthrow the regime in Equatorial Guinea.
Crause Steyl, the mercenary pilot who was to have been the star witness against Mark Thatcher had his trial in South Africa gone ahead, told Channel 4 News that Sir Mark's role had been kept secret, because "his mother was the previous prime minister of England".
Mr Steyl described meeting Sir Mark to select a helicopter on which a gun could be mounted.
He also alleged that the Spanish government appeared to acquiesce in the plot.
When asked: "Does Mark Thatcher's story that he knew nothing about the chopper being used in the coup attempt stack up?" Mr Steyl replied: "No it doesn't ... as far as I'm concerned not."
Sir Mark was convicted in South Africa last week and fined £270,000 after a plea bargain in which he escaped trial and possible jail in return for admitting a limited role. He conceded that he had hired a helicopter, realising it "might" be used for mercenary activity.
But Mr Steyl alleged that Greg Wales, a business associate of the old Etonian, ex-SAS officer Simon Mann, helped to recruit mercenaries and people willing to finance the coup.
He said: "Simon told me that I had to meet one of the investors in his project ... and that Greg would introduce me ... I was introduced to someone [at Lanseria airport, near Johannesburg] who didn't give me his name. I gave him mine and then after a while it became apparent that the man was Mark. He came up from Cape Town."
Mr Steyl alleged that Sir Mark became directly involved in testing a military aircraft.
"The helicopter that Mark had in mind ... I sent someone down to test fly it ... Mark happened to go with this guy ... The guy reported back and said it won't be suitable for this purpose.
"I advised Simon who advised Mark that this helicopter won't suit our needs. Mark said we must decide what we must do and I said we can hire a lighter model."
Mr Steyl says he believes the then Spanish government acquiesced in the coup attempt, because he and the exiled would-be president, Severo Moto, were allowed to return to Spanish territory after the coup attempt failed, without proper papers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/equatorialguinea/story/0,15013,1394507,00.html
Uiteraard ontkennen Mark Tatcher en de Partido Popular (destijds aan de macht in Spanje) de beschuldigingen van deze huurling.