A lawyer for over 60 suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe and accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea said today his clients had yet to be charged, but he expected them to appear in court on Monday.
"They are definitely not going to go to court this weekend... I believe they will appear on Monday," lawyer Mr Jonathan Samkange said.
Mr Samkange said under Zimbabwe's immigration laws, the men, arrested after their Boeing 727 was seized at Harare airport last Sunday, could be held for two weeks before a court hearing.
The official Herald newspaper quoted acting attorney general Mr Bharat Patel as saying the suspects were expected to appear at the magistrate's courts for initial remand next week, without giving a specific day.
"We are going to charge them for breaching the Immigration Act for unlawful entry and misrepresenting their reasons for entry," Mr Patel told the paper.
The state would also charge the group with offences relating to the forgery and use of unauthorised travel documents, as well as the purchase and acquisition of firearms and ammunition without licence, the Herald said.
Zimbabwe detained more than 60 men after seizing their Boeing 727 in Harare last Sunday, and Equatorial Guinea arrested another smaller group who it said was an advance party in a coup plot.