SOUTH AFRICA:Eight men accused of plotting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea in 2004 have been freed in controversial circumstances.
A Pretoria judge dropped all charges against the men on the grounds that there was "credible evidence" the coup had either been sanctioned by the South Africa government or that the accused thought it had been so sanctioned.
In a ruling that is hugely embarrassing for Pretoria, Judge Peet Johnson said it was "eerie" that the men were even charged. The South African government denied any knowledge of the plot but such claims were contradicted by almost all of the state witnesses in the case.
Under cross-examination, a number of such witnesses testified that the government not only know about the coup attempt but had approved it.
One witness, Ivan Pienaar, who admitted to helping the alleged mercenaries with aeronautical logistics, claimed the US, British and Spanish governments had also given their approval to the plot.
He said he had been informed that the international community was concerned at the human rights record of Equatorial Guinea, and that the planned coup was to stabilise oil prices.
A number of the accused said the South African government should now ask Equatorial Guinea to release from prison those already convicted.
Eleven foreign nationals were sentenced in the west African state to between 14 and 34 years on charges of trying to stage a coup against the military president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Also involved in the affair was Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who pleaded guilty in November 2004 to being negligent in investing in an aircraft allegedly commissioned for the attempted coup. He received a four-year suspended jail sentence.