Mozambique ‘hidden debts’: U.S. delegation in South Africa “focused” on extradition of Manuel Chang

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Mozambique ‘hidden debts’: U.S. delegation in South Africa “focused” on extradition of Manuel Chang

1:36 CAT | 27 May 2019

Photo: @USEmbassySA

The extradition to Maputo of former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang, who has been detained in South Africa since December at the request of the United States, is at the top of the agenda of a visit by a US government delegation to Pretoria, a diplomatic source told Lusa on Thursday.

The White House delegation, headed by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) , Kimberly Reed, “is in the country, and is focused on the issue,” the US diplomatic source told Lusa, referring to the decision on Tuesday by South Africa’s Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha to extradite the former minister and current Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) MP to Mozambique as part of investigations into the country’s so-called ‘hidden debts’.

The US presidential delegation was appointed by President Donald Trump to attend the inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as president of South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday.

Lusa reported on Wednesday that the United States was considering seeking a revision of the decision by the South African Justice Minister to extradite the former Mozambican Finance Minister to Maputo.

“We are in discussions with the South African government and exploring options to request a revision of this decision,” Robert Mearkle, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Pretoria, told Lusa at the time.

“The minister [Michael Masutha] has decided to extradite former Mozambican Finance Minister Manuel Chang to Mozambique despite receiving our formal request for extradition previous to that of the Republic of Mozambique,” he said.

“We urge the Government of South Africa to send Mr. Chang to the United States to stand trial for these alleged crimes,” Robert Mearkle told Lusa.

The announcement by Minister Michael Masutha in a statement released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services came just days before Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration ceremony and consequent announcement of a new government in South Africa, following a majority of 57.5 percent obtained by the African National Congress (ANC) in the May 8 elections.

“I have decided that the accused, Mr. Manuel Chang, will be extradited to face trial for his alleged crimes in Mozambique,” the statement by Minister Michael Masutha said.

Manuel Chang, 63, a former Mozambican minister and current MP for Frelimo, which has been in power in Mozambique since 1975, had been detained in South Africa at the request of the United States for fraud and money laundering since December.

The case relates to loans amounting to US$2.2 billion (€ 1.97 billion) to create Mozambican state-owned companies Ematum, Proindicus and MAM, granted by London-based subsidiaries of Credit Suisse and Russia’s VTB.

Kimberly Reed, President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States will represent @realDonaldTrump USA President at the #SAInauguration19 President Reed arrived @Lanseria_Int for the #SAInauguration19 taking on Saturday, in Pretoria @SADC_News @UN @GovernmentZA pic.twitter.com/yqA6q33v2h

— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) May 24, 2019

His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa with Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Kimberly Reed. @PresidencyZA #SAInauguration19 https://t.co/1NmUxhYRXG pic.twitter.com/3jmUH1fjTX

— US Embassy SA (@USEmbassySA) May 25, 2019