Mercenary's letters 'stolen' by coup plot case lawyers

[emad]

Telegraph
By Damien McElroy, Foreign Correspondent
(Filed: 27/02/2005)

Equatorial Guinea has been accused of illegally obtaining private papers belonging to the Old Etonian mercenary Simon Mann, who allegedly plotted to overthrow the African nation's president.

The Law Society in London has received a complaint that sensitive letters from Mann to his wife, Amanda, were passed, without his permission, to lawyers acting for the oil-rich dictatorship.

The letters are said to contain instructions about the conduct of Mann's defence against allegations that he was en route to overthrow President Theodoro Obiang when he was arrested in Harare last March.

Mann is a friend of Sir Mark Thatcher who has also denied involvement in a coup plot. In a plea bargain in South Africa, Sir Mark admitted failing to act on his suspicions over the use of a helicopter he financed in a deal brokered by Mann.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/27/wmann27.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/27/ixworld.html

[justiceischeap]

1. Here's a great Mother Jone's article

about Equatorial Guinea called "A Touch of Crude"

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/01/12_400.html

American bankers handled his loot. Oil companies play by his rules. The Bush administration woos him. How the pursuit of oil is propping up the West African dictatorship of Teodoro Obiang.

[bemildred]

2. Tsk, who would have thought Obiang might circumvent legal process?

How could one play dirty with an upright fellow like Mr. Mann?