Plotters planned to kill leader

Press, 21 May 1982, Page 6

Plotters planned to kill leader

NZPA-Reuter Pietermaritzberg The President of the Seychelles (Mr Albert Rene), and members of his Government would have been “eliminated” if last November’s attempted coup had been successful and they had resisted, a court trying 43 mercenaries heard yesterday. A South African, Patrick Eurelle, one of the 43 on trial for the alleged hijacking of an Air India boeing to South Africa after the abortive coup, said he and his coaccused had been shown pictures of the Seychelles Cabinet. He told the Natal Province Supreme court that the mercenary leader, Mike Hoare, had "said the Seychelles ministers were to be held and if they resisted they were to be eliminated. Another defendant, Robert

Jones-Davies, a Briton, said it would not have been unlawful if Seychelles Cabinet Ministers had been killed during the coup attempt because the operation had the backing of the South African Government. He said: “The operation had the approval of the South African Government and I looked on myself as a South African soldier in a way.” Hoare has said in evidence the South African Cabinet knew in advance of the coup attempt against the Socialist Government of President Rene. Mr Jones-Davies said he attended a briefing before the coup and was told the coup had the backing of South Africa as well as of the United States and its Central Intelligence Agency.