Mozambique: South Africa 'to send ex-finance minister home, not extradite to US'

Maputo, Feb. 21 (Lusa) - Manuel Chang, a former finance minister of Mozambique who is being held in custody in South Africa, will be sent home rather than extradited to the US, which is investigating his involvement in the 'hidden debts' scandal, said South Africa's minister of international relations.
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"We will send him to Mozambique and believe that this is the easiest thing to do for everyone," said Lindiwe Sisulo, in an interview with South African newspaper Daily Maverick.

Sisulo said that South Africa's government takes the view that it is best for Chang to be tried in Mozambique for his role in the taking out by public enterprises of more than $2 billion in loans, with state guarantees, unbeknownst to parliament.

"As soon as everything is dealt with with Interpol, we shall allow Mozambique to have its former minister back," Sisulo said. He added that South African officials are looking at the implications for relations between the US and Mozambique of such a decision, given that Chang was detained in South Africa at the request of the US courts.

"We received a request from Mozambique and accepted it," he noted.

Sisulo argued that the US authorities will have the possibility of pressing ahead with their own court case after Chang answers to justice in his own country for the crimes of which he is accused.

Chang is to be heard in court in South Africa on 26 February on the extradition request made by the US, where the former minister is charged with online fraud, computer fraud and money laundering, for his participation in the proceedings that resulted in the so-called hidden debts.

Chang was detained on 29 December in South Africa when he was preparing to embark for Dubai.

As part of the hidden debt case in Mozambique, eight people were last weekend detained in Maputo. Only one is currently free on bail.

Among the detainees are Ndambi Guebuza, a son of Mozambique's former president, Armando Guebuza, as well as a former private secretary of the head of state, Ines Moiane, and former agents of the State Information and Security Services (SISE).

Lusa

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