Margaret Thatcher’s son Sir Mark has been refused a visa to enter the USA to join his wife and children in Texas. The “Sir” is an inherited title from his father, given at the request of his mother whose body sometimes crawls into the House of Lords to join the ranks of the Tory undead.
Thatcher Junior plea bargained a suspended sentence and large fine in South Africa for his part in an abortive coup in Equatorial Guinea last year. That conviction led to this ban. Mark now plans to set up home “In Europe but not in the UK” with his wife. Their kids will remain at school in th USA.
Just like the time he got lost in the Sahara Dessert when a “rally driver”, Junior had to be bailed out by the Great White Handbag Swinger. She posted 2 million Rand ($334,000) bail for him prior to his trial.
Equatorial Guinea has been run by President Obiang since a 1979 coup when he siezed power from his uncle. There are widespread allegations of human rights abuses, political oppression and corruption. The US Sentate is investigating the bank accounts held by his faimily which contain hundreds of millions of dollars.
Although the President is fairly unpleasant, the coup seems to be intended as a sort of old fashioned colonial expedition with the plotters allegedly planning to set up a private fiefdom. Obiang alleges the coup was supported by mulitnationals and foreign governments.
Thatcher has had a mixed career but seems to have done a “Dubbya” and become rich despite a series of failed businesses. His wife has inherited money
In case you were wondering, yes it is about oil, the country has very large undeveloped reserves.