Mozambique’s Attorney General made formal requests to the United States starting 30 March 2017 and the last on 14 March 2018 about bank transfers relating to companies in the United Arab Emirates and other countries. There was never any reply. But the data Mozambique was asking for appeared in the indictment issued in New York. Similar requests were made to the UAE, again without reply.
The claims were made in a press statement yesterday afternoon by the Attorney General’s office (PGR, Procuradoria-Geral da Republica). In effect the PRG is accusing the US of refusing to cooperate and preventing Mozambique from bringing charges by not providing key informaiton, so that Manuel Chang and others could be tried in the US rather than Mozambique.
The US Embassy in Maputo responded that it “does not comment on our bilateral communications with the Government of Mozambique.” The Department of Justice in the US cannot reply due to the US government shutdown.
However Carta de Mocambique (7 Jan) points out that in March 2017 the Attorney General’s office demanded bank details of one company and 17 individuals, which should have provided some of the same information. So far, there is no indication of local prosecutions.
In response to the US prosecution, the Attorney General’s office revealed it is proceeding against 18 people in cases related to the $2 bn secret debt.
Although vague, the press statement hints that the Attorney General wants to try Manuel Chang in Mozambique “for crimes committed in Mozambican territory” and is appealing to the South Africa to return him to Mozambique rather than allow him to be sent to the USA.
Chang hearing postponed to tomorrow
The extradition hearing for Finance Minister Manuel Chang was postponed to the next day to allow prosecutors to prepare their submissions. Prosecutor Elivera Dreyer was overwhelmed by the range of arguments of Chang’s legal team and asked for an extra day to respond to the submissions. Lawyer Willie Vermeulen said the extradition had not been properly requested, and complained of what he considered Dreyer’s lack of preparation. The hearing this morning was at Kempton Park Magistrates Court in Johannesburg, under magistrate Sagra Subroyen. (eNCA, Carta de Mocambique)
Mozambicans picketed outside the court demanding that Chang and others pay back the money, supporting the extradition request, and saying Guebuza and Chang have “are selling Mozambique”.
Meanwhile Manuel Chang is to remain behind bars after briefly appearing in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Through his lawyers, the 63-year-old argued that his detention was unlawful and that his extradition, if carried out, would also be illegal.
Chang was on his way to Dubai when he was arrested on December 30 at OR Tambo International Airport in terms of a United States warrant of arrest.
It is alleged that the former minister approved secret loans that led to the country being plunged into a financial crisis.
Last week, police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said Chang had been red flagged by Interpol.
People are put on Interpol’s red list at the request of member countries which want another member country to provisionally arrest a wanted person, pending an extradition.
Although Chang’s lawyers attempted to have cameras barred in court, the magistrate granted the media permission to use cameras.
Magistrate Sagra Subroyen postponed the matter to Tuesday so that she can peruse the written arguments which the State and the defence submitted.
A day after his arrest, Mozambican news outlet Carta de Mozambique reported that Chang could face up to 45 years in prison. He is reportedly wanted for conspiracy for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and money laundering, according to an arrest warrant the newspaper saw.
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