THE African National Congress is considering legal action against four men who were accused of kidnapping its leaders, including the chief ANC representative in the UK, Solly Smith, and Frene Ginwala. The four men Evan Evans, Frank Larsen, John Larsen and Hans Christian Dahl — were discharged by Lambeth magistrates court when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ofsultations with MI5 on 12 October. According to David Leigh, writing in The Observer tober, 'A long list of reasons was produced: there was no evidence that the kidnap conspiracy had acuve. seekers" and "lived in a world of their own"; the Crown would look "ridiculous" and the lesser charges Terrorist Squad to waste its time with. clearly disagreed: as late as 15 October, its officers In fact no one seriously believes the official Rather the evidence suggests direct involvement by the British state which the dropping of to Stephen Fiddler who'acted for three of the four men claimed that they had been working for a British government agency, though declined to say Another lawyer, Ben Conlan, who represents Frank and John Larsen Radio News that Frank Larsen had worked for MIS in the past. deputy head of intelligence services in Rhodesia responsible for setting psychological research unit. He was approached in 1981 by Sir Michael Hanley, the head of MIS, with a view that when the war ended Larsen should work in the UK.' according to Conlan.
This contradicts a statement made in the House of Commons by Sir Patrick Mayhew who said that he'd been 'advised' that none of the accused had been'employed in any capacity by forces'. Mayhew's statement drew the comment from Labour MP, Dennis Skinner that the affair was 'a squalid cover up between the government and the DPP protecting the prime minister's back because of her known hatred of the ANC'.
Because of the dropping of charges, thousands of sensitive documents which, it has been alleged would be 'of great embarassment' to the British government would not see the light of day. In fact, the Lambeth magistrates hearing was for similar reasons held in camera Haastdloo Coull.
Collaboration In addition to possible direct British state activity against the ÄNC, another issue which the trial could have disclosed was collaboration between British and South African intelligence services. Larsen, whose real name is Viggo Oerbak, theid liviy doent he was io naat wits aan. theid activity Rhodesia. He and Evan Evans, a British ex-officer who had served in the apartheid army had contact last yeai with South Johann Niemoller. Niemoller, a former member of the South African military, has confirmed that he diavise Leigts of nshehe observer says ns. Niemoller was the second businessman to appear in London in 1986, in what he describes as a 'classic South African intelligence operation': He goes on to say that 'MIS knew for certain that Pretoria was mounting another London operation. It did nothing to stop it'.
on 25 Oc'publicityof forgery and imper- were not serious enough for the AntiCOvel sald 'Frank Larsen was the active up group Larsen had accepted the offer, the security quite unusual for a was in what m