Local authorities have yet to confirm whether four South African mercenaries, who were freed in Equatorial Guinea, have returned home.

Nick Du Toit, Jose Sundays, George Allerson and Sergio Cardoso were released on Tuesday, along with Briton Simon Mann after receiving a full presidential pardon.

The men were involved in a failed coup to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea in 2004.

Since their release, the whereabouts of the South African men have been shrouded in secrecy.

The Institute for Security Studies’ Henri Boschoff says he believes the men returned home on Thursday night and are being questioned by local law enforcement officials.

“This is still to come out in the open; it is still to be clarified, all these questions; who was participating, what was the motive, who was behind it, who was gaining financially. Those are all questions that need to be answered,” he said.