afrol News, 7 July - British mercenary, Simon Mann has been sentenced to 34 years for his role in a coup plot to oust Equatorial Guinea government in 2004.

Mr Mann, former special forces army officer sentencing follows his trial in the capital Malabo last month in which he admitted conspiring to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in the oil producing West Africa state.

Another defendant, Lebanese businessman Mohamed Salaam, received a jail sentence of 18 years, while four Equatorial Guinea nationals were given terms of six years each. Another was jailed for one year and one other was acquitted.

Mr Mann was also ordered to pay a fine and compensation to the Equatorial Guinea state totaling around US$ 24m.

Mr Mann's long jail sentence which could keep him in prison for the rest of his life was harsher than over 31 years requested by Equatorial Guinea's public prosecutor during trial in Malabo last month.

Judge Carlos Mangue said Mr Mann had failed to show an attitude of regret or remorse despite his apology before the court though he had acknowledged during his trial that he knowingly took part in the attempt to topple government.

His lawyer, however, argued that Mann was a secondary player and not the mastermind of the botched 2004 coup.

Mr Mann was sentenced on three counts for making attempts against the life of Equatorial Guinea's president, against the government and against the peace and independence of the state.

Mann has implicated Sir Mark Thatcher, son of UK former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and London-based millionaire Mr Eli Calil as organisers of the plot.

Sir Mark was fined and received a suspended sentence in South Africa in 2005 for unknowingly helping to finance the plot though he strongly denies any direct involvement to the plot. Mr Calil also denies any involvement.

The former army officer was arrested in March 2004 along with 61 other suspected coup plotters when their aircraft landed in Harare, before being extradited from Zimbabwe.

He served four years in a prison in Zimbabwe for trying to purchase weapons without a licence.

Eleven other men, including South African arms dealer Nick Du Toit - who testified that he had been recruited by Mann - are already serving sentences in Equatorial Guinea in connection with the coup attempt.

Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich former Spanish colony, has been ruled by President Obiang since he seized power from his uncle in 1979.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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