UK News 27-08-2004 Thatcher `Was Ready To Flee` who: Mark Thatcher what: Was arrested with his bags packed and ready to leave for USA, police say where: Johannesburg, South Africa when: Yesterday snippet: Former PM`s son Mark Thatcher was arrested by a crack South African police unit in connection with an African coup attempt "because he was planning to quit his luxury Cape Town home and relocate to the United States next week", a senior detective tells The Scotsman. In fact, if The Guardian is to be believed, authorities only just managed to stop Sir Mark fleeing the country after learning that he had put his house on the market, arranged to sell four of his cars, found boarding school places in the US for his two children and bought his family plane tickets to the US. "When officers arrived at his home in the upmarket Constantia suburb of Cape Town at 7am on Wednesday, they found the Thatchers` suitcases packed and in the hall." "We allege he is one of the financiers of the coup to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea and we have received credible evidence that he has assisted financially in that regard," Sipho Ngwema, an anti-fraud officer tells BBC News Online. "Anyone who is using this country as a springboard for violence and disorder, we are going to deal with those persons quite strongly," he added. In a statement, Sir Mark, who is now under house arrest, insisted that he had "no involvement" in the planned coup, despite allegations that he invested £100,000 to buy a helicopter for a company planning to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Sir Mark may not be the only one in hot water. The Guardian says that along with his name, the so-called "wonga list" of financiers invited to support the coup attempt contains the name of one JH Archer. Furthemore, records show that $134,000 (74,000) "was deposited into plot leader Simon Mann`s bank account in the name of JH Archer four days before the coup attempt." [... more]

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