SOUTH African lawyers for Equatorial Guinea coup plot suspect Mark Thatcher are taking steps to prevent him from answering questions under oath about his alleged involvement, a senior member of Mr Thatcher's defence team said yesterday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the lawyer said that an application had been forwarded to the Cape High Court to set aside the subpoena requiring him to appear in court next week.
The son of British former prime minister Margaret Thatcher was served with a subpoena last week following a request from the attorney general's office in Equatorial Guinea to question Mr Thatcher about his alleged financing of a foiled coup attempt in the oil-rich country.
The lawyer said that the matter would be brought before the court on September 21 - one day before Mr Thatcher is required to appear before Wynberg magistrates' court to face questioning.
"We believe that the subpoena is an infringement on Mr Thatcher's right to a fair trial in South Africa," he said.
Mr Thatcher was arrested in Cape Town on August 25 for allegedly contravening sections of the Foreign Military Assistance Act.
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