Extradition Record
Requesting: United States (Mozambique also sought him)Requested: South Africa

Manuel Chang: extradition case and outcome

Manuel Chang was arrested at O. R. Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg in December 2018 on a provisional US warrant while travelling from Maputo to Dubai. He contested extradition in South Africa and was extradited to New York in July 2023. A federal jury convicted him on 8 August 2024 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and he was sentenced on 17 January 2025 to 102 months. He left federal prison custody on 26 March 2026 and was deported to Mozambique in April 2026.

Extradited Extradited from South Africa to the United States in July 2023.1

Charges as alleged. US prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York alleged that the former Mozambican finance minister received 7 million dollars in bribes for signing government guarantees that secured more than 2 billion dollars in loans for Proindicus, EMATUM and Mozambique Asset Management, and that more than 200 million dollars of the proceeds was diverted to bribes and kickbacks.1

Charges are allegations unless a court has convicted. Each record states what each court or minister decided and the person's public response.

Decisions

  1. South African authoritiesArrested at O. R. Tambo International Airport while travelling from Maputo to Dubai, under a provisional arrest warrant issued at US request.2,1
  2. South African authoritiesExtradited to the Eastern District of New York.1
  3. Federal jury, US District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis)Convicted him of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering after a four week trial.1
  4. US District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, Eastern District of New YorkSentenced him to 102 months in prison and ordered forfeiture of 7 million dollars, with restitution to be set later.3
  5. US District Judge Nicholas G. GaraufisRejected his request for early release on health grounds, finding no extraordinary and compelling reasons, according to Lusa.4
  6. US Bureau of PrisonsReleased from Bureau of Prisons custody after sentence credits, and then held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Massachusetts over a travel document problem, according to Lusa and AIM.4,5
  7. US immigration authoritiesDeported to Mozambique, arriving on 5 April according to police sources cited by Legalbrief.6

What happened next

Convicted on 8 August 2024 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sentenced on 17 January 2025 to 102 months in prison and 7 million dollars in forfeiture. Released from Bureau of Prisons custody on 26 March 2026, held briefly by immigration authorities, and deported to Mozambique, where he arrived on 5 April 2026 according to Legalbrief. AIM noted that Mozambique's Attorney General's Office could in theory order his arrest on arrival. His status in Mozambique is not confirmed in sources read.1,3,4,5,6

Response

His lawyers argued in South Africa that his arrest was unlawful but failed, according to Quartz.2

Legal points

Sources

  1. US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Convicted of Fraud and Money Laundering in 2 Billion Dollar Scheme (8 August 2024)
  2. Quartz, Mozambique's former finance minister arrested in South Africa over Credit Suisse loans (10 January 2019)
  3. US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Sentenced to 102 Months' Imprisonment for His Role in 2 Billion Dollar Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme (17 January 2025)
  4. Lusa (via Diario de Noticias), Ex-ministro mocambicano Manuel Chang sob custodia do ICE nos EUA (28 March 2026)
  5. AIM (Mozambique News Agency), Hidden Debts: Chang still in United States (30 March 2026)
  6. Legalbrief Africa, Manuel Chang returns to Mozambique (April 2026)