2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt the US of backing the plot, but the Pentagon denies supporting it. US officials say it was Greg Wales who made all the approaches to them. Greg Wales, a London-based property dealer, is alleged to have raised $500,000. Equatorial Guinea official sources claim that in November 2003 , when the plot was in its early stages, an Old Etonian mercenary, Simon Mann, paid Mr Wales about $8,000. Mr Wales denies any involvement in the coup. Theresa Whelan, a member of the Bush administration in charge of African affairs at the Pentagon, twice met a London-based businessman, Greg Wales, in Washington
James Brabazon James Brabazon James Martin Brabazon (born 18 February 1972), is a British documentary filmmaker, journalist, and author. Brabazon is best known for his work in conflict situations. He first gained attention as the only journalist to film the LURD rebel group fighting to overthrow President Charles Taylor during the Second Liberian Civil War. While in Liberia, Brabazon encountered South African mercenary Nick du Toit and hired him as his bodyguard. Brabazon’s memoir "My Friend the Mercenary" recounts his experiences of the Liberian civil war, his friendship with du Toit, and du Toit’s subsequent role in the failed Equatorial Guinea coup