 Sir Mark Thatcher pictured with Baroness Thatcher |
Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, 78, has reportedly posted �167,000 bail to free her son, Sir Mark, 51, from house arrest in South Africa. Accused of helping to fund a coup in Equatorial Guinea, Sir Mark, who denies the allegations, faces 15 years' jail.
The cash will be paid within 36 hours, according to The Times.
A source close to the Thatcher family confirmed the newspaper's story and told BBC News Online the money needed to be paid by 8 September.
The allegations centre on an alleged plot to topple President Teodoro Obiang.
Sir Mark - who says reports that he is worth �60m are "widely" off the mark - is accused of helping to fund the purchase of a helicopter.
He is accused of violating laws banning South African residents from taking part in foreign military action.
Sir Mark has been confined to his luxury Cape Town home since his arrest last week with bail set at two million rand.
He is due to return to court in mid-November.
Former British SAS officer Simon Mann, the leader of a larger team of mercenaries arrested in Zimbabwe connection with the coup plot was found guilty on Friday of trying to procure weapons from Zimbabwe's state arms manufacturer.
He is awaiting sentencing.
Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, West Africa, has asked for Sir Mark to be extradited from South Africa to face questioning.
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