Mozambique loses new appeal in South African court against Manuel Chang’s extradition to the US

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) of South Africa dismissed on Wednesday, for the second time in 12 months, a new appeal of the Prosecutor General of Mozambique (PGR) against the extradition of former minister Manuel Chang to the United States.

According to the court order, to which Lusa had access, the panel of judges of the highest instance of South African justice also ordered the PGR of Mozambique to bear the legal costs of the request, filed out of time, “for lack of reasonable prospect of success,” of Mozambique for the extradition of the former Mozambican governor to his country in the context of hidden debts.

“Consequently, the pardon is granted, but the appeal should be refused with costs for lack of reasonable prospect of success,” the 10-judge South African panel ruled.

In the past four years, the former Mozambican finance minister, seen as the “key” in the so-called hidden debt scandal, has faced two competing requests in South Africa, without trial, from the United States and Mozambique for his extradition.

Manuel Chang was arrested on December 29, 2018, at Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport en route to Dubai on an international arrest warrant issued by the US on December 27 for his alleged involvement in the so-called €2.5 billion hidden debts case secretly contracted in the neighboring Lusophone country.

With information from Lusa

News Mozambique, English news Mozambique, Mozambican politics

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