2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt five calls to Sir Mark Thatcher in the days after the failed coup. On 13 January 2005, Mark Thatcher, in a South African court, pleaded guilty to helping finance a coup plot in Equatorial Guinea. South African police were able to prove that Mr Thatcher had transferred about US$285,000 to the mercenaries that were to execute the operation and had met and talked frequently to them prior to the coup attempt. After pleading guilty, he was given a four-year suspended sentence and a fine of about US$560,000. Simon Mann paid $500,000 (£281,000) towards the plot, according to a list of
Corruption in Equatorial Guinea of forestry. He has been sardonically called "the world's richest minister of agriculture and forestry." Through his solely owned firm Grupo Sofana and its affiliate Somagui Forestal, Teodorin owned, and may still own, "exclusive rights of exploiting and exporting timber in Equatorial Guinea." Teodorin also owns the nation's only TV station, as well as Radio Asonga, the nation's main radio station. In May 2012, he was removed from the ministry and given the title of "second vice president", a position that is not mentioned in the nation's constitution, and placed in charge of state security. The heir apparent to the