A South African court has dismissed an application by the Mozambique to set aside an earlier ruling ordering its former finance minister Manuel Chang to be extradited to the United States to face corruption charges, according to reports monitored here Wednesday.
The reports said South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal threw out an application by the Mozambican government for leave to appeal against a November 2021 ruling by the Johannesburg High Court for Chang to be moved to the US to face trial.
The application was dismissed on the grounds that there was “no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and there is no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard”.
Chang was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in December 2018 at the request of the US law enforcers who want him to answer to charges relating to his alleged involvement in obtaining fraudulent loans worth billions for Mozambican state firms.
Both the US and Mozambique applied for Chang’s extradition in early 2019, charging him with money laundering, embezzlement and abuse of office.
After initially deciding to extradite Chang to Mozambique in May 2019, South Africa suspended its decision the next month to allow the US lawmakers to file for extradition.
This is the third time that Mozambique has lost its bid to have Chang returned to the country to face charges following unsuccessful approaches to South Africa’s high court and Constitutional Court.
JN/APA