Bid to extradite Thatcher

Sir Mark Thatcher faces moves to extradite him to the African state he is accused of plotting to overthrow, it emerged today.

The 49-year-old son of the former prime minister remains under house arrest in Cape Town as South African authorities considered a request from lawyers acting for Equatorial Guinea's dictator, president Teodoro Obiang.

Lawyer Lucie Bourthoumieux said: "The process for requesting extradition has started."

The move came as South African police revealed they wanted to question disgraced Tory peer Lord Archer, whose name has been linked to a payment made to Simon Mann - the former Guards officer facing trial in Zimbabwe. Mann is accused of leading a band of mercenaries in the botched coup. Lord

Archer has denied any involvement.

In Malabo, Equatorial Guinea's capital, 15 men are standing trial, accused of being an advance party for the mercenary forces.

Their leader, Nick du Toit, has said in court that he met Thatcher on several occasions.

State prosecutors in Equatorial Guinea have demanded the death penalty for du Toit but it is thought he may escape the most severe sentence after agreeing to help prosecutors.

Executions in Equatorial Guinea are regular events, however, and Obiang is known as one of Africa's most brutal dictators. Given his record on human rights, it is unlikely that South Africa would agree to extradite Thatcher.

It seemed more likely that he would face the full weight of South African law.

Sources within the Scorpions, South Africa's investigations unit, said that while they were content to allow Equatorial Guinea police to quiz Thatcher, they were extremely keen to secure a conviction in South Africa. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison. The source revealed that evidence uncovered so far indicated that Thatcher was involved in "logistics and finance" connected to the coup attempt. He is an old friend of Mann and du Toit has implicated him in a deal to purchase a helicopter.

Thatcher claims the helicopter was to be used as an air ambulance. He has denied any involvement in the coup attempt.

Meanwhile, it emerged that James Kershaw, Mann's trusted lieutenant, has been in contact with South African investigators.

The 24-year-old computer expert was believed to be holding the socalled Wonga List - the file of names of a number of individuals who were invited by Mann to invest in the coup. He promised them vast profits from Equatorial Guinea's burgeoning oil industry.

Baroness Thatcher cut short a holiday in the United States to return to Britain when she was told of his arrest. Her spokesman Lord Bell said: "She's obviously distressed."