The Attorney General of the Republic, Beatriz Buchili, filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of South Africa, in a last-ditch effort to extradite Manuel Chang to Mozambique. The document is dated August 23 this year and presents all sorts of arguments to ensure that Chang is not extradited to the US but to Mozambique. In the document, Buchili accuses the US of having deceived the PGR by never having collaborated in the investigation of the debts. He claims that the hidden debts devastated the Mozambican economy and that is why it is important that Chang is judged in Mozambique, stating that the country has the capacity to do so.

"Os USA requested information. Our office provided what information it could, but they never provided satisfactory information on what we were asking for. Everything they provided at any given time is what we already had in our investigations. That's how the US created the impression of cooperation, with which we work…”

“This case is very important for Mozambique, as criminal offenses have had devastating effects on Mozambique's economy. This caused donors to suspend and/or reduce funding to Mozambique. Therefore, it is important for Mozambique to successfully prosecute this case to demonstrate its commitment, competence and capacity to fight corruption.”

“I claim that Mozambique has the capacity to prosecute Chang and his co-authors. The judicial institutions of the Public Prosecutor's Office are effectively used by civil society organizations. Civil society organizations rely on Mozambique's judicial and prosecutorial institutions. An example of this is illustrated by the Forum in its testimony to prove its effectiveness as a network of organizations.”

Read the entire document in Portuguese, a translation of the IPC from English to Portuguese