Simon Mann, the notorious British adventurer at the centre of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea, is due to learn his fate next week.
Following an extradition hearing in Harare today, a Zimbabwean magistrate will announce on May 9 whether Mann will be extradited to Equatorial Guinea - where he will face charges that carry the death penalty - or whether he will be free to leave prison in Zimbabwe when his sentence comes to an end on May 11, and return home to England.
In recent days, Mann (right) has become the focus of a flood of rumours and wild speculation.
An ex-SAS officer and Old Etonian, he has been incarcerated in Harare's notorious Chikurubi jail ever since he flew in from South Africa in March 2004 and was caught buying weapons and ammunition, with which to overthrow Equatorial |
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Will Zimbabwe send him home, or barter his life for oil from Equatorial Guinea, asks hugh russell |
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Guinea's president, the much-feared Theodore Nguema (pictured overleaf).
He was jailed for four years with a year's parole. In retrospect he should be grateful he wasn't able to fly on to Equatorial Guinea, where the leader of the coup, Nick du Toit, was convicted and sentenced to 34 years in jail.
President Nguema has been eagerly requesting Mann's extradition ever since - a request which the Zimbabwe courts, with typical deliberation, have been considering.
Even at the eleventh hour, the issue remains in doubt. It is thought by some that the Mugabe government will be putting pressure on the court to decide in favour of extradition. Zimbabwe needs all the friends in Africa it can get. And Equatorial Guinea is oil rich. Rumour says Nguema will reward Mugabe for the gift of Mann by offering him  |
