Cape Town – Former Mozambique Finance Minister Manuel Chang has been extradited to the United States to face charges of fraud and corruption.
He is accused of involvement in a $2 billion loan scheme intended to boost the country’s maritime economy.
The alleged embezzlement of funds from the scheme led to Mozambique defaulting on its sovereign debt and experiencing an economic crisis.
According to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCOD), Chang was detained some five years ago at OR Tambo International Airport and both Mozambique and the USA applied for his extradition in the Pretoria High Court.
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“Mr Chang was detained by South African Police Services at Oliver Reginald Tambo International Airport on December 30, 2018, following a provisional arrest warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The United States and the Republic of Mozambique requested his extradition on various charges.
“After several hearings in 2019 by the Magistrates Court in Kempton Park and the 2019 and 2021 High Court of South Africa Gauteng Local Division, the Republic of Mozambique filed applications with the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court of South Africa,” the department said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
