Zimbabwe brings mercenaries for trial with their pleading guilty for lesser charges

Trial of the 70 suspected mercenaries arrested at the Harare International Airport in March this year opened at the Chikurubi Maximum Prison on Tuesday with 67 people pleading guilty to the lesser charges of contravening sections of the Civil Aviation and Immigration Acts.

Three others, including group leader, Simon Mann, are not facing charges under the two acts, as they were not on the plane with the 67 suspected mercenaries.

Simon Mann, Louwtje Horn and Harry Carlse reached Zimbabwe in the previous day and only went to the airport when their hired aircraft arrived.

The lawyer, Jonathan Samkange, told the court that his clients were pleading guilty to the charges after they had been fully explained to them.

Prosecutor, Steven Musoni, told the court that the 67 contravened sections of the Civil Aviation and Immigration Acts, which makes an offense to enter or assist any person to enter, remain in or depart from Zimbabwe.

The 70 suspected terrorists were arrested at the Harare International allegedly on their way to Equatorial Guinea where they planned to stage a coup to remove the government of PresidentObiang Nguema.

Source: Xinhua