Page 350 - They Also Served

On 7th March 2004, Zimbabwean police impounded a flight originating in South Africa and bound for Equatorial Guinea. Mann and 66 colleagues were arrested and a further 14 at their destination two days later. It was alleged that they were on their way to carry out a coup backed by rich businessmen, one of whom was Sir Mark Thatcher, who would benefit from oil concessions. Due to the money involved and the fact Mann appealed to his backers for ‘wonga’ to bail him and his men out, it became known as ‘The Wonga Coup’. Ultimately, Mann languished in jail in Zimbabwe before being extradited to Equatorial Guinea to face trial. A quantity of oil was promised to Zimbabwe in what became known as the ‘oil for Mann’ deal. Meanwhile, Thatcher was arrested at his home in South Africa and pleaded guilty to his part in the coup, receiving a four-year suspended sentence and a large fine.
Incarcerated in the notorious Black Beach prison, Mann accepted his lot with a wry sense of humour, saying: ‘Anyone that has endured boarding school can endure prison’. On 7th July 2008, Mann was sentenced to 34 years in prison for leading the attempted coup. However, on 2nd November 2009, he was ‘pardoned on humanitarian grounds’ and returned to the UK.
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