Simon Mann jailed 34 years for African coup plot

The British mercenary Simon Mann was today sentenced to 34 years in prison for plotting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.

The Eton-educated former SAS officer was sentenced after a trial last month during which it was claimed that a number of western governments knew about the coup plans. The court heard that Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of the former British prime minister, was a committed member of the group.

Mann was arrested in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2004 with dozens of mercenaries when their private plane landed. He acknowledged knowingly taking part in the attempt to topple the government, but his lawyer argued Mann was a secondary player.

The sentence is longer than expected. During the trial, José Olo Obano, Equatorial Guinea's attorney general, urged the court to sentence Mann to 31 years, eight months and three days. The death penalty was not permitted under the terms of Mann's extradition from Zimbabwe. It was suggested last month that Mann may be released before completing any sentence.

Mann, wearing a grey prison uniform, stood impassively as the sentence was read out by the presiding judge, Carlos Mangue, in the heavily guarded courtroom.

Seeking leniency, Mann had apologised and portrayed himself as a pawn of powerful international businessmen he said were trying to seize power in Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil producer. Obiang has ruled there since 1979.

Judge Mangue said the long sentence was justified because of the "seriousness of the crimes" and the weight of evidence.

Describing himself as a mere "employee", Mann said the real masterminds behind the coup plot were business tycoons including London-based Lebanese millionaire Eli Calil and Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Both Calil and Thatcher have denied any role in the conspiracy and are not in Equatorial Guinea.

But Mangue ordered the public prosecutor, Jose Olo Obono, to seek to bring them to justice. The prosecutor said his country's government would try to seek their extradition.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the small west African nation of Equatorial Guinea since a 1979 coup overthrew his uncle. He pockets vast profits from offshore oil drilling. Equatorial Guinea is Africa's third-largest oil producer, but the bulk of its population remains very poor. Obiang's regime is accused of being one of Africa's worst violators of human rights.

Mann accepted he was doing the job for money – said to be $15m - but he claimed he was sympathetic to the story he was told that oil money was not reaching the people. "I believed it was right."