The British mercenary Simon Mann was dramatically pardoned last night over a failed African coup.

The Old Etonian and former SAS officer had served less than two years of a 34-year sentence for trying to seize control of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

The country's president announced a 'full pardon' for the friend of Sir Mark Thatcher in a statement to a news agency.

Sources in the former Spanish colony added that the Equatorial Guinean Ministry of Information had announced that Mann 'could go free at any time'.

The Mail can reveal that the decision to release Mann was relayed to the British Foreign Office late last week by the country's London ambassador.

The decision to release Mann on compassionate grounds follows months of negotiations between his supporters in London and officials from Equatorial Guinea.

Greg Wales, named as a fellow coup plotter by Equatorial Guinea, led the secret talks, which took place between September and October at the Ritz hotel and the country's embassy in Mayfair.

Mr Wales said last night: 'In the two months of intense negotiations, I have found the Equatorial Guinea government and ambassador to be extremely reasonable, focused gentlemen of the highest integrity.'

Mr Wales, who was reputedly 'political officer' for Mann's coup team, which planned to seize control of the country in 2004 and install a puppet leader, confirmed that he knew of the pardon, adding: 'I'm delighted.'

Mann, 57, was given what amounted to a death sentence last June, when he was led away to spend 34 years in the tiny west African country's notorious Black Beach jail.

Sarah and Edward, Mann's sister and brother, are due to fly to Equatorial Guinea today to collect the prisoner and bring him home. It is understood they have already logged flight plans for a private aircraft.

They only learned of the deal to set their brother free on Friday. They said President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo wanted to release Mann, who underwent surgery on a hernia injury, on compassionate grounds.

They were given visas on Saturday to travel to the secretive country. Only family were allowed to pick up Mann, who was a career British officer until forming an African mercenary outfit following his 'retirement' to South Africa.

Neither Sarah nor Edward Mann were available for comment, although earlier Mann's sister said she was aware something was going to happen 'in the next couple of days'.

A Foreign Office spokesman said last night he was 'aware' of the reports of Mann's release and was seeking 'clarification'.

However, sources close to the negotiations stressed that the move had been planned for months - although Mann himself was only told last week.

It is understood Amanda, Mann's third wife, was not informed of the negotiations in case she 'blabbed'.

The son of a former England cricket captain, Mann was captured in 2004 in Zimbabwe after flying in on a plane packed with alleged mercenaries.

He was there on a stop-off to pick up weapons before flying north to Equatorial Guinea. There his 70 mercenaries would install a puppet leader from Spain after overwhelming the presidential guard, seizing the radio station and, if necessary, murdering Obiang.

Obiang, who came to power by having his uncle shot in a coup, traded $7million of oil to Zimbabwe in return for its dictator, Robert Mugabe, handing over Mann.

Mann was held at Black Beach prison, a notorious jail where torture was rife and another of Mann's mercenary team died after a prolonged beating. 

Mann has proved a model prisoner. Terrified of the president's reputation, Mann revealed all about the role of others in the coup attempt. In his court appearance last year, he revealed the alleged role of Eli Calil, a millionaire British passport holder he nicknamed The Cardinal.

Mann said that Calil, a friend of Peter Mandelson, was the overall boss and bankrolled the plot.

He named Sir Mark Thatcher as part of an elite four-man 'board of management' responsible for orchestrating the coup.

Sir Mark and Mr Calil have always denied any role in the plot.

Now Africa's third largest oil producer, Equatorial Guinea has been under huge pressure to clean up its reputation under Obiang, who has

been repeatedly accused of cannibalism.

Obiang - who makes an astonishing £40million a day from oil - calculated that releasing Mann unharmed would prove a boost to his attempts to improve his image on the international stage.

He has also been under pressure from the U.S., which has huge oil and gas concerns in his country.

Although some of his aides pressed him to secure ' compensation' running into millions from Mann in return for his freedom, Obiang decided he should be released without a 'ransom'.

By Daily Mail