Pretoria backed coup — hijacker
NZPA-Reuter Pietermaritzburg A reservist member of a crack South African regiment has told the court trying 43 mercenaries for alleged hijacking offences that he had been given the task of tracking down the Seychelles President (MiAlbert Rene) during an abortive coup in November, and if necessary, killing him. Pieter Doorewaard, a reservist with the 2nd Reconaissance Commando, told the Natal Supreme Court that he had been given the job of taking over the Government and arresting the Seychelles Cabinet during the attempted coup led by a mercenary leader, Mike Hoare. last year. Doorewaard said that he had been under orders from Hoare to arrest Seychelles Cabinet members and if they gave any trouble, to kill them.
He said he did not believe that the killing of Mr Rene and his Ministers w’as unlawful since the operation had had the backing of the South African Government and Defence Force.
“But this operation was in the interests of the country (South Africa) and that is why I did not regard it as murder,’" he told the Court.
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Press, 29 June 1982, Page 9
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179Pretoria backed coup — hijacker Press, 29 June 1982, Page 9
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