Simon Mann, a former special forces officer convicted of plotting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea, warned on his release from jail on Wednesday that he would be willing to testify against alleged co-conspirators should they be brought before a UK court.

Speaking after he was freed from the Black Beach prison in Malabo, the capital, Mr Mann said he was “very anxious” that Mark Thatcher, the son of Lady Thatcher, the former British prime minister, and Ely Calil, a UK-based Lebanese businessman, should face justice for the roles he alleges they played in the plot.