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Judge Margaret Victor has overturned Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s decision to extradite Manuel Chang to Mozambique, calling it ‘irrational’.
The Johannesburg High Court has ordered that former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang must be extradited to the United States to face charges of corruption.
Judge Margaret Victor ruled that Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s decision of 23 August this year to extradite Chang to Mozambique was inconsistent with South Africa’s Constitution and “falls short of the threshold of rationality”.
Judge Victor on Wednesday overturned the 23 August decision by Lamola to instead extradite Chang to his home country to face a range of charges related to a $2-billion “hidden debts” scandal.
The decision was therefore invalid and should be set aside and Chang should instead be extradited to the US to face the charges which the US government had set out in its extradition request to South Africa in January 2019.
Asked if Lamola intended to appeal against the judgement, his spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the minister was considering his options.
“The ministry will study the written judgment as soon as it is made available and communicate a way forward in due course,” he said.
Judge Victor pronounced Lamola’s decision effectively…
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