ZIMBABWE: A former SAS member accused by Zimbabwe of leading 70 suspected mercenaries in a coup plot against Equatorial Guinea pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to possess dangerous weapons, and could face up to 10 years in jail.
Simon Mann, appearing in a special court convened in Harare's top security prison, also entered a limited guilty plea to a second charge of purchasing weapons, saying he should only be charged with the attempt since the deal never went through.
Mann was quickly convicted on the first charge.
Mann, who once served with Britain's elite Special Air Service commando force, has been identified as the leader of a group of 70 men held since March in Zimbabwe on charges of plotting a coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.
A separate group of 15 men, including eight South Africans, are being held in the west African state and are expected to face trial on similar charges soon.
Officials in both countries say the men were in a joint operation to topple President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, a coup which was foiled when Zimbabwe swooped on the main group as their plane landed to collect weapons at Harare's airport.
Sixty-seven of the Harare detainees pleaded guilty and were convicted on Tuesday of contravening immigration and aviation laws. Defence lawyers said they expected more charges against the entire group.
State prosecutors attempted to show that Mann, who founded security consultancy Executive Outcomes in the 1990s, contracted to buy weaponry from the state-run Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI).
Prosecutor Stephen Musona called as a witness ZDI marketing manager Hope Mutize, who said Mann and Nick du Toit, one of the men held in Equatorial Guinea, approached him to buy weapons. - (Reuters)