Alleged mercenary leader tells court he met Mark Thatcher

Alleged mercenary leader tells court he met Mark Thatcher expands on a Malabo courtroom case tied to a failed attempt to remove Equatorial Guinea’s president. South African authorities arrested the son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher on Wednesday in Cape Town, after he was charged over alleged involvement in the plot against President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Nick du Toit, an alleged South African mercenary and top suspect, told the court in Equatorial Guinea’s capital that he was introduced to Mark Thatcher in July 2003 by Simon Mann. Du Toit, who is on trial with 13 other foreigners and four Equatorial Guineans, said the meeting concerned the sale of helicopters in Zambia. Authorities say du Toit led 15 mercenaries preparing for March arrivals of 70 more, intercepted in Harare. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for du Toit, though Obiang has said none of the defendants would be executed.