Trial of Zimbabwe 'mercenaries' nears end

SOME of the alleged mercenaries being led to court

• Judge to hand down judgements

• Ex-SAS officer pleads guilty to weapons charges

• Mann: A man in need of 'major clout'

• Zim 69 plead guilty to lesser charges

• SA in secret talks over Mann

• Zim 70 to face trial in July

• Mugabe barters mercenaries for oil

• 'Mercenaries' planned jail escape

• 'Mercenary' plane seized in Zimbabwe

• Mugabe officials had deal with mercenaries

• South Africa, Zim trained mercenaries

By Agencies

THE trial of 70 men held in Zimbabwe on charges of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea moved towards closure on Thursday, with both defence and state lawyers wrapping up their cases.

Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe ordered the men to be brought back to court on Friday to hear the final arguments from the two sides.

"We're coming here for (closing) addresses only," Guvamombe told the court, before adjourning the case to Friday.

The 70 men were arrested in March, most of them aboard a Boeing 727 that stopped off at Harare International Airport to collect a consignment of weapons.

Three other men, including the alleged ringleader, Briton Simon Mann and two weapons inspectors, were arrested at Harare International Airport where they were allegedly due to inspect a consignment of arms to be picked up by the plane.

Zimbabwean authorities said the men were on their way to overthrow the government of long time leader of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, but they deny the charges, saying they were on their way to guard diamond mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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