Guinea issues arrest warrant for Thatcher
Equatorial Guinea said today it had requested international arrest warrants for Mark Thatcher, son of the former British prime minister, and other Britons implicated in a coup plot.
But it denied it had asked South Africa for the extradition of Thatcher, already under house arrest there in the case.
The comments were made during a news conference by Deputy Prime Minister, Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfube.
"We have asked for international arrest warrants for all responsible in this coup d'etat,'' Mr Nfube told reporters.
He specified Thatcher, the 51-year-old son of Margaret Thatcher, financier Eli Calil and Simon Mann, convicted yesterday in Zimbabwe in an arms deal connected with the alleged plot.
Mr Nfube denied, however, a statement by a lawyer for Equatorial Guinea’s government who said yesterday that the government had asked for Thatcher’s extradition from South Africa.
He said Equatorial Guinea was only studying the extradition of those involved.
Ninety men are in custody in Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe and South Africa in an alleged plot to overthrow 25-year ruler Teodoro Obiang.
The alleged plan was foiled in March as mercenaries moved into position for the coup attempt, prosecutors claim.
