Ending up in a prison In Equatorial Guinea is not an ideal to be aimed for. It’s precisely where Simon Mann has ended up while others associated with the attempted coup to gain influence over the country’s oil reserves have done a bit of dodging, including Smelly and Scratcher. Who they? Characters from a Dickensian novel? Don’t know about Smelly but Scratcher’s escapades and dodgy deals are well documented.
Of course Simon is very very sorry and he’s been saying so for four years while in a Zimbabwean jail. Don’t think he would have been sorry if the coup had come off and the sorry gang had ended up with the promised millions. Other names came out of a hat. Peter Mandelson, surely not!? Jeffrey Archer, well he’s been inside but Mr Mann doesn’t think so. JACK STRAW? Well he’s not been involved, but he’s had to do a bit of a turn around about the government having no idea what was going on.

Anyway Africa’s countries and people deserve more respect than they get with exploiters at every turn. Maybe those thinking of some get rich quick scam at the Continent’s expense had better think twice. As for Smelly and Scratcher they are being very very quiet about things they know nothing about.