South Africa said today Equatorial Guinea had made no move to seek the extradition of Mr Mark Thatcher (51) on suspicion of involvement in a coup bid in the oil-rich country.
The son of former British Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher was arrested at his Cape Town home on Wednesday and released on a two million rand ($300,000) bail.
Mr Thatcher, who faces charges of violating South Africa's strict anti-mercenary laws but says he is innocent, has been ordered to stay in the Cape Town area until a November court appearance.
Equatorial Guinea is trying 14 suspected foreign mercenaries for plotting a coup in sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil producer. Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for one of them, South African Mr Nick du Toit.
Zimbabwe convicted the leader of another group of men charged in the same plot of weapons charges on Friday.
A lawyer advising Equatorial Guinea had told Reuters there was "first contact" with South Africa over possible extradition but later said the government was simply seeking more information.
"Equatorial Guinea is not accusing Mark Thatcher of anything at this stage," Ms Lucie Bourthoumieux said late on Thursday.
"What it wants, now that Mark Thatcher has been arrested and Nick du Toit has spoken about him (in court) is to know more, to know exactly what role he did or did not play in planning or financing the attempted coup."
Ms Bourthoumieux had said a formal extradition request would depend on the result of South African police investigations.
Mrs Thatcher flew home to London today after breaking off a US holiday following her son's arrest.
A family spokesman said she was "distressed" but confident about South Africa's legal process.