(Bloomberg) -- South Africa has decided to send Manuel Chang, the ex-Mozambique finance minister accused of fraud in a $2 billion sovereign-debt scandal, home instead of the U.S. to face charges.
“I have noted that the request by the United States of America was submitted a few weeks prior to that of the Republic of Mozambique,” Justice Minister Michael Masutha said in a statement Tuesday. “I am satisfied that the interest of justice will be best served by acceding to the request by the Republic of Mozambique.”
Chang was arrested in South Africa in December on a U.S. warrant for his alleged involvement in Mozambique's $2 billion sovereign debt scandal that the Department of Justice said was a front to pay more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks to people involved. Late Monday in New York, an ex-Credit Suisse Group AG banker became the first person to plead guilty in the case.
“The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria notes with great disappointment” Masutha's announcement to extradite Chang to Mozambique, spokesman Robert Mearkle said by email Wednesday. “We urge the government of South Africa to send Mr. Chang to the United States to stand trial for these alleged crimes, which victimized U.S. citizens and robbed the government of Mozambique of over $700 million.”
Chang has been in custody since his arrest in Johannesburg.
To contact the reporters on this story: Matthew Hill in Maputo at mhill58@bloomberg.net;Borges Nhamire in Maputo at bnhamire@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone, Andre Janse van Vuuren
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
