Ben Sills in Madrid and David Pallister
Friday August 27, 2004
The Guardian
Among the cast list of mercenaries and rightwing businessmen dragged into the alleged coup affair, Severo Moto, the self-styled "president" of the Equatorial Guinea government in exile, has emerged as a pivotal figure.
Well-placed South African sources said that he was flown to neighbouring Mali on the eve of the coup, in preparation for his unveiling as the country's new leader.
But Mr Moto, who has been in exile in Spain since 1999, yesterday denied any involvement with Sir Mark Thatcher or the alleged coup attempt in the former Spanish colony.
"The claims are absolutely false," he told the Guardian. "I didn't even know
Thatcher had a son."
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http://politics.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,9174,1292092,00.html