South Africa is still considering whether to extradite Mozambique’s former finance minister, Manuel Chang, to his home country or the U.S., a Department of International Relations and Cooperation official said.
“We have received an extradition request from Mozambique and it’s receiving attention from our Justice Department,” Ndivhuwo Mabaya, a DIRCO spokesman, said when asked to confirm an earlier report that cited Minister Lindiwe Sisulu as saying the government plans to return Chang to Mozambique.
SAFRICA-COURT-EXTRADITION
Chang was arrested in South Africa on Dec. 29 on a warrant from the U.S., where he is wanted on allegations of conspiracy to commit fraud and taking millions of dollars in bribes in a $2 billion loan scandal. South African prosecutors formally filed the U.S. extradition request in a Johannesburg court on Feb. 5.
“Both extradition requests have been referred to our courts for a determination as required by our law,” Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services spokesman Max Mpuzana said by email. “The final decision will be made once the court process has run its course.”
