Manuel Chang

Forum De Monitoria Do Orcamento Vs Manuel Chang and Others (Case No: 2021/40441). Manuel Chang is accused of corruption after allegedly receiving bribes to sign off on international loans of US$2bn (£1.5bn) intended to buy fishing trawlers and military patrol boats. However, much of it was allegedly diverted to government officials. Chang denies any wrongdoing. South Africa's Johannesburg High Court has ordered Justice Minister Ronald Lamola not to extradite Manuel Chang to his home country of Mozambique. It follows from an announcement earlier that the former Mozambican finance minister was to be extradited back to Maputo, where he is facing prosecution in a case where 20 politicians are currently on trial for embezzlement. Initially, in December 2018, Chang was arrested in South Africa at the request of the US government. However, in 2019, his extradition was cancelled. However, on 23 August 2021, at a hearing in Maputo, the South African Department of Justice finally promised to extradite him, but only days later, that was once again reversed after The Mozambique Budget Monitoring Forum (FMO), a group of civil society organisations, reportedly halted the extradition until arguments against it can be heard.