More countries implicated in E.Guinea coup plot

[struggle4progress]

ebruary 19, 2007, 18:00

More details about the alleged knowledge of several governments of the alleged coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea emerged in the Pretoria Regional Court today where eight alleged South African mercenaries are facing a charge of contravening the Foreign Military Assistance Act.

Ivan Pienaar, a pilot, told the court he was informed that the government of Equatorial Guinea posed a problem for the governments of the United States, Britain and Spain and that the planned coup was to stabilise oil prices. Pienaar testified he was told the international community had a problem with human rights abuses in Equatorial Guinea, and that he saw the flight and mission as a heroic one.

Pienaar said he was also informed that a team from the United States of America was on standby to go into Equatorial Guinea. He said he was also informed that the coup had to take place before the elections in Spain in March 2004 to enable the newly elected president to sanction the new Equatorial Guinea president before he takes over ...

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/crime1justice/0,2172,144027,00.html