Mark Thatcher quizzed about Equatorial Guinea coup plot

Sir Mark Thatcher has appeared in court in South Africa to answer questions over his role in an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea in West Africa. The son of the UK's ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has admitted breaking South African anti-mercenary laws by agreeing to finance a helicopter. However, he said he had not known it was to be used in the alleged plot. He was given a suspended jail term and fined after agreeing a plea bargain to help investigators last month. As part of the deal, he agreed to answer 43 questions submitted by Equatorial Guinea, which believes there was significant British involvement in the attempted coup. Thatcher looked very nervous as he took the witness stand, says the BBC's Barnaby Phillips in Cape Town. He denied any knowledge of a coup plot, but he did say he knew many of the people allegedly involved, including the alleged leader, Simon Mann. [more]