‘Day of Jackal’ author ‘paid for bid to seize island’

Press, 17 April 1978, Page 8

‘Day of Jackal’ author ‘paid for bid to seize island’

S'ZPA London The thriller writer, Frederick Forsyth, whose best-selling books include “The Day of the Jackal.” financed an abortive attempt by hired mercenaries to seize the tiny West African island republic of Equatorial Guinea, the London “Sunday Times” said yesterday. The newspaper printed what it said were details

of a 1972 plot foiled by the Spanish authorities, who prevented the expedition from setting sail from the southern Spanish port of Fuengirola. It said that Forsyth, who lives in Ireland, declined to comment on its claim that he masterminded the scheme and spent £lOO.OOO ($NZ171,560) on arms and men before it was halted. The newspaper said that

Forsyth, however, used the ' experience as the basis for bis book “The Dogs of War," which earned him 5NZ765.000. The “Sunday Times” said that Forsyth mounted the invasion to create a new homeland for the Biafran people defeated in the Nigerian civil war. Forsyth reported the Biafran side of the war for the British Broadcasting Corporation before

quitting journalism to write novels. The newspaper said that lawyers for the defeated leader of Biafra. General Chukwuemeka OdumeguOjukwu, had denied any knowledge of the alleged plot. General Ojuknu received political asylum in the Ivory Coast when the Biafran State collapsed before the advancing Nigerian Army.