Thatcher heads for the US after court drama

[emad]

Karyn Maughan
January 13 2005 at 03:09PM

Sir Mark Thatcher is expected to leave South Africa for the United States within the next few days, sentenced to a R3-million fine for his involvement in the Equatorial Guinea coup plot.

The fine - and a four-year suspended jail term - was imposed in the Cape High Court on Thursday after a plea deal with Scorpions prosecutors.

The formalisation of the agreement in the High Court on Thursday was marked by drama.

Police received anonymous threats before the hearing, and a Canadian protester shouted "shame, shame, shame" as Thatcher and Scorpions representatives entered the court.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20050113132533427C949088

DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALERT! As a convicted felon, how is Thatcher allowed to enter the US? Anyone with a UK passport and so much as a drinking/driving fine to their name is barred from entering the US.....

[malaise]

1. Aren't people with criminal records

supposed to have their US visa revoked?

[yellowcanine]

7. Good point. The case could be made that he is a terra-ist as well.

Isn't overthrowing governments one of the things terra-ists do?

[havocmom]

2. Family went to Texas. He heading there?

Picking up a check from the Oily Guys for expenses (and fines paid) incurred on their behalf, perhaps?

[emad]

3. Yes! WHO paid the £265,000 court fine? Mommy, through an account

at the Riggs Bank, maybe with some help from General Pinochet's dodgy $$$$$$$$$$$s?

Or was it from the Jeff Skilling/Ken Lay fighting fund, with some extra offshore funds from Larry Sliverstein?

[AlCzervik]

4. he was headed there before he got busted

these people are crisco coated teflon, nothing sticks.

[havocmom]

8. Wife and kiddies arrived in Texas just after

the excrement hit the ventilating device, as I recall. Marc must've had a job offer there after his little exercise in coup-building?

[AlCzervik]

9. Well you know texas is all about oil

i'm guessing his coup backers wanted him to stay close.

[havocmom]

10. Yeah, and I hear Castro found some crude.

Does Thatcher swim?

[AlCzervik]

11. i read that Castro is dealing with Canada on his crude find

so expect a pre-emptive strike on toronto and then off to Cuba!

[havocmom]

13. OMG! Jon Stewart was right last night!

Once again, life imitates art and neocons imitate comedians! :wow:

I suppose after funning implements of revolution into Canada, Marc will look forward to sunny Cuba, rum and good ci-gars. ;)

[Rose Siding]

5. Give us your corrupt, your wealthy, your huddled criminal aristocrats

Re-write!

[yellowcanine]

6. I am sure the CIA has a spot for him in Venezuela. Always room for one

more coup plotter.

On edit: Cuba just discovered oil so maybe he could be of use there as well. Does he speak Spanish?

[daleo]

12. And he was severely rebuked by the court:

"Go, and do not attempt to overthrow any more governments for at least four years".

[yellowcanine]

14. Shouldn't his plane be diverted just like Cat Stevens' plane was?

Fair is fair.

[emad]

15. I think Pal Pussy not quite in the same gangster league as MT

but fair's fair, Thatcher shouldn't be allowed back in.

UNLESS of course, uncle Jonathan Bush - ceo of Riggs Bank subsidiary, can personally vouch for him once again, like he did to get him off the Texas racketeering/corruption charges way back in '96 that eased the slimebag out of the US and into Johannesburg in the first place...

[Judi Lynn]

16. Maybe this is his lifesaver: he has an American wife.

The 51-year-old businessman is expected to join his American wife Diane and Michael, 15, and Amanda, 11, in Dallas, Texas. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=334124&in_page_id=1770

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,162482,00.jpg

[0007]

17. John Major of the Carlyle Group has juice with junior!

And doesn't the Carlyle Group along with Halliburton run things here?

[emad]

18. So does Thatcher's plea bargain include grassing up Skillings

and his cohorts at Carlyle? Or is there some quid pro quo going on about that "suicide" of Cliff Baxter that immediately shut down the paper trail?

How the hell could Marky otherwise enter the US if he's got a criminal record, regardless of his wife and kids being in Texas?

[0007]

19. 'Tis over my head young lady, but I believe between our assumptions

we're 99% percent on the 'bees and honey'. If only David Kelly and Cliff Baxter could speak from out yonder, LOL! Lord Hutton took care of Davey baby!