27/06/2008 09:35. LONDON: Equatorial Guinea yesterday dropped a legal challenge against a refusal to allow it to pursue damages in the British courts from a mercenary accused of leading a failed 2004 coup attempt. Guinea had launched proceedings seeking compensation from ex-British special forces soldier Simon Mann for “severe emotional distress†caused to the country’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

But lawyers for the Malabo government said before the start of a scheduled hearing in Britain’s court of last instance, the House of Lords, that they were withdrawing... // Gulf Times