Three men who broke the Foreign Military Assistance Act were fined a total of R350 000 or jail time by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Harry Carlse, Lourens Horn and Crause Steyl pleaded guilty under a plea bargain between the defence and the state to involvement in a coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.
Magistrate Adriaan Bekker sentenced Steyl to R200 000 or 10 years in prison with a further four years suspended for five years.
He had supplied the coup plotters with men and air assistance, the court heard.
He was also involved in the plot to kidnap the existing Equatorial Guinea president and fly in a “replacement”.
Carlse and Horn both pleaded and were found guilty on similar charges.
They were fined R75 000 each or four years in prison. They were also sentenced to an additional four years, suspended for five.
Under the plea bargain, the three men will testify in further court hearings involving other coup plotters.
Outside the court, it was rumoured that they might testify on Mark Thatcher’s alleged involvement in the coup.
Carlse and Horn were arrested in Zimbabwe and spent six months in Chikurubi prison in Harare before being released when charges were withdrawn.
They returned to South Africa where they were charged under the Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Steyl was never in Zimbabwe but was found to be involved in the coup attempt. — Sapa
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