Royal Institute of International Affairs on the future of Equatorial
Guinea... Some suggest American, Spanish and British interests offered their
backing to exiled Moto... An individual intimately involved in the alleged
coup has claimed that British officials were aware of the plot to replace
Obiang with Moto... On the other side were the French, who believed a
successful coup would have cemented US domination in the country... it had
the blessing of some American higher-up politicians..."
------------------
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1293168,00.htmlhttp://o
bserver.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1293168,00.html
Britain dragged into coup plot as rumours swirl over London meeting
Thatcher's business partner turns state witness as diplomatic row builds
over alleged west African putsch
Antony Barnett, Martin Bright and Patrick Smith Sunday August 29, 2004 The
Observer
One of Sir Mark Thatcher's key business partners has turned 'state witness'
and is alleged to have given dramatic new evidence to South African police
investigating Thatcher's role in the alleged coup to overthrow the President
of Equatorial Guinea.
The revelation comes as speculation mounts over what British and US
officials knew about the alleged plot and when. Insiders claim that
officials in both countries were aware of a planned attempt to topple the
leader of the oil-rich west African state, although both governments have
denied this claim.
Thatcher's business partner, former crack mercenary pilot Crause Steyl, is
believed to have handed over details of Thatcher's investment in an aviation
firm that had contracts with Simon Mann, the old Etonian and former SAS
officer in jail in Zimbabwe.
The former Prime Minister's son was arrested in Cape Town last week over
accusations that he helped finance the alleged coup that aimed to overthrow
President Obiang and replace him with the exiled Opposition leader Severo
Moto.
The Observer, which first revealed details of Thatcher's alleged involvement
in the coup last month, has been told by South African sources that Steyl
accompanied Moto to the Canary Islands on the eve of the day the alleged
putsch was to happen.
They were flown from Madrid to the islands in a South African-registered
King Air 200 by a stunt pilot and landed in the morning of 7 March. The
plane is then reported to have flown on to the Malian capital of Bamako
where Moto awaited news from the mercenary leaders. The next day, the Boeing
727 carrying Mann and his crew of more than 60 mercenaries was impounded in
Harare and those on board arrested.
Steyl's evidence could be highly damaging to Thatcher, who faces 15 years in
jail after being charged last week with helping to finance the mercenary
plot to topple the President. The government of Equatorial Guinea is
requesting an interview with Thatcher in South Africa and is hoping to
having him extradited to face trial there.
Thatcher's defence team in Cape Town - which insists he is innocent of all
charges - believes Steyl is emerging as central to the prosecution and say
they have been told to stay away from him. The lawyers suspect that Steyl
has given the South African police a detailed affidavit containing several
statements. Steyl was unavailable for comment.
The Observer has obtained details of the contract signed by Steyl and Mann
on 16 January to provide aircraft and aviation services. Steyl is alleged to
have persuaded Thatcher to invest $250,000 (�139, 586) in a joint venture
between a company called Triple A and Mann's Guernsey firm Logo Ltd to
provide aircraft and aviation services.
Thatcher's friends insist the investment was a 'peripheral one' in a flying
doctor service and that the initials Triple A stand for Air Ambulance
Africa. Similar cover stories have been used in mercenary operations, South
African intelligence sources say, but Thatcher's friends say that his
relationship with Steyl may be 'exaggerated and misinterpreted'.
Mann's associates say he relied increasingly on Steyl's experience in
running air operations as plans for the coup plot played out this year. The
two first met when Mann established Executive Outcomes in South Africa in
the early Nineties and won a contract to run military operations in support
of the Angolan government's operations against Unita rebels.
Steyl worked on several other private military operations such as the
Executive Outcomes contract in Sierra Leone. It was Steyl and another former
mercenary who arranged the leasing from US Dodson Aviation of the Boeing
727-100 which was seized in Zimbabwe with 70 former South African soldiers
on board last 7 March. Steyl's brother Neil was piloting it, and has been
held in Harare since March.
One of Steyl's associates suggested that it was concern for his brother's
fate that prompted Crause Steyl to start co-operating with the Zimbabwean
and South African investigations.
As further details emerge of the extraordinary coup plot, speculation is
mounting over the role played by western intelligence agencies in the
alleged plot to oust Obiang. An individual intimately involved in the
alleged coup has claimed that British officials were aware of the plot to
replace Obiang with Moto.
South African sources claim the rumours of the coup were circulating among
diplomatic circles in Pretoria ear lier this year - although the Foreign
Office denies any 'prior knowledge'.
The allegation that British officials knew about the potential illegal coup
comes amid claims from British and Spanish intelligence agencies that French
spies helped to scupper the plot.
It is also claimed that the US and Spanish security services were involved
in the plot to replace the dictator of the tiny West African state, which
has vast oil reserves.
Although it is not suggested that British intelligence was complicit in any
coup plot, the claim that some officials might have had advance knowledge of
the attempted putsch has prompted opposition politicians to demand a
statement from the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. Menzies Campbell, the
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, last night called on the
government to come clean about its knowledge of the operations.
Last night the Foreign Office categorically denied that it had any 'prior
knowledge of the alleged plot'.
The Observer has learnt that in February this year there was a meeting at
the London headquarters of the Royal Institute of International Affairs on
the future of Equatorial Guinea. It is known that there was at least one
government official present as well as representatives of the oil industry.
According to sources present, there were active discussions about rumours of
coup plots there.
Mann is accused of being the mercenary leader hired by mysterious business
and political figures involved in an old-fashioned battle to control the oil
reserves. Up for grabs was a huge multi-million pound bounty of cash plus a
share of lucrative oil concessions.
Many in the intelligence community are asking whether a hidden hand was
played by Western powers. Some suggest American, Spanish and British
interests offered their backing to exiled Moto.On the other side were the
French, who believed a successful coup would have cemented US domination in
the country, where US oil giant Exxon Mobil already enjoys the most
important drilling concessions. British intelligence sources have suggested
that the French learned of the plot and helped to sabotage it.
Spanish intelligence sources have made similar claims. Former Spanish Prime
Minister Jos� Mar�a Aznar was a close ally of the exiled Moto, who lived in
Madrid.
Mann, who was found guilty on Friday in a Zimbabwean court of attempting to
buy arms for the botched coup, confessed to Spanish involvement in plot.
The Spanish government has denied this claim. But it has emerged that
earlier this year two Spanish warships left the Nato naval base based near
C�diz. One of the frigates had on board 500 elite troops and the soldiers
are reported to have been told they were heading for Equatorial Guinea.
Nick du Toit, one of Mann's alleged accomplices arrested in Equatorial
Guinea, told the country's court last week: 'The Spanish government would
recognise the Moto government and it had the blessing of some American
higher-up politicians.' Moto has dismissed the coup plot as 'complete
fiction'.
It was Du Toit who named Thatcher in a statement last week that led to his
arrest. Thatcher's alleged involvement first emerged when The Observer
obtained details of two letters written by Mann from prison referring to the
former Prime Minister's son as 'Scratcher'.
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