South Africa court says Mozambique ex-minister can be extradited to US

JOHANNESBURG: A South African court ruled Monday that a Mozambican ex-finance minister, held since December on a US warrant over corruption allegations, can be extradited to the United States. But the future of the defendant, Manuel Chang, was not immediately resolved, as the court was to rule later Monday on a rival extradition request from Mozambique. Chang, 63, was arrested at Johannesburg´s main airport on December 29 over alleged involvement in $2 billion (1.76 billion euros) of fraudulent loans to Mozambican state firms. Magistrate William Schutte ruled that “there is evidence that Manuel Chang has committed the crimes he is charged with and that all conditions are met so he can be tried in the United States”. With both the US and Mozambique having issued their own extradition requests over the scandal that has shaken the poor southern African country, the court said only the justice ministry can decide where to surrender him. US Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy last month said he expected Pretoria to honour the extradition accord it signed in September 1999.