By Bernardino Ndze Biyoa
MALABO (Reuters) - British mercenary Simon Mann, one of thelast prominent "dogs of war" in Africa, was to go on trial onTuesday in Equatorial Guinea accused of leading a failed 2004coup against the oil-rich African state.
Mann, an Eton-educated former special forces officer, wasarrested in Zimbabwe with 70 mercenaries en route to EquatorialGuinea.
Public Prosecutor Jose Olo Obono said last week Mann wouldgo on trial on Tuesday on three main charges: crimes againstthe head of state, crimes against the government and crimesagainst the peace and independence of the state.
He could face the death penalty, but Obono said it wasunlikely he would seek the maximum sentence against Mann.
Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogotold Channel Four news that it would be up to the court todecide on Mann's punishment if he was convicted.
"We've reached a conclusion that Simon Mann was used as aninstrument but there were material and intellectual authorsbehind it that financed the operation," Obiang said.
Tuesday's edition of the Guardian newspaper quoted Obiangas saying that Mann was revealing important information on adaily basis, something the judges might take into account whenit came to sentencing.
"If they think cooperation has been good enough, theremight be clemency shown at the end of the case," the paperquoted Obiang as saying through an interpreter. It added thatObiang had held out the prospect of negotiations to allow Mannto serve part of his prison sentence in Britain.
BREWING HEIR
Mann, held in Malabo's notorious Black Beach prison, saidin a TV interview broadcast in March that he plotted to oustObiang, who has ruled the ex-Spanish colony since 1979.
Equatorial Guinean authorities have said Mann has testifiedthat Mark Thatcher, the son of former Prime Minister MargaretThatcher, knew all about the scheme to topple the government ofsub-Saharan Africa's third-largest oil producer.
Mark Thatcher has denied any involvement in the plan. Hewas arrested in 2004 by South African police at his Cape Townhome on suspicion of bankrolling the coup plot, and pleadedguilty under a deal with South African authorities.
Mann, heir to a brewing fortune who attended the exclusiveEton College, was extradited from Zimbabwe in February afterserving a four-year sentence for buying weapons without alicence. Prosecutors said the arms were to be used in the coup.
The arrest of Mann, who once served in Britain's eliteSpecial Air Service (SAS) regiment, ended the career of one ofthe last prominent "dogs of war" still active in Africa.
One of Africa's most notorious foreign mercenaries,Frenchman Bob Denard, died in October.
After his army service, Mann, 55, helped found two securityfirms that became bywords for mercenary activity across Africain the 1990s, Executive Outcomes and Sandline International.
Mann had appealed against his extradition from Zimbabwe byarguing he would not receive a fair trial and could be torturedin Equatorial Guinea, which has faced sharp internationalcriticism for human rights abuses.
Eleven other men, including several foreigners, are alreadyserving sentences of between 13 and 34 years in EquatorialGuinea in connection with the alleged plot.
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/)
(Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Alistair Thomson andAlex Richardson)
