Ex-Mozambique finance minister fights extradition to US

Former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang is challenging attempts to extradite him to the United States for a corruption trial. South Africa’s justice minister decided to review his predecessor’s decision to have Chang extradited to Mozambique instead.

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Extradition has begun

His extradition hearing is underway Wednesday in South Africa. Chang was arrested in South Africa last year on the request of the U.S. government in relation to a $2 billion debt scandal that rocked Mozambique’s economy. The scandal affected some U.S. investors. Chang was finance minister from 2005 to 2015.

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'Mozambique has not shown seriousness'

South Africa’s justice minister decided to review his predecessor’s decision to have Chang extradited to Mozambique instead. Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has asserted that Mozambique has not shown seriousness in prosecuting him. Mozambique’s government wants the court, not the justice minister, to decide where Chang should go. It has argued that Lamola is biased in favour of the U.S. Government.

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