BEFORE leaving Equatorial Guinea yesterday, freed coup plotter Simon Mann said the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and others should face justice for allegedly scheming to overthrow the oil-rich country’s government.

Mann left the island capital of the tiny Central African nation early yesterday after serving 15 months of a 34-year sentence. He and the four SA mercenaries, who were also pardoned on Tuesday, had been given 24 hours to leave and never return.

In a trial last year, Mann testified that Mark Thatcher provided 350000 (R2.7 million) to buy a small plane to transport Equatorial Guinea’s exiled opposition leader Severo Moto from Madrid to Equatorial Guinea. Mann said after his release he was “happy we did not succeed in 2004”. “But as far as I’m concerned, I’m very anxious that Calil, Thatcher and one or two of the others, should face justice.” — Sapa-AP