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The Mozambican parliament on Tuesday lifted the immunity of former finance minister and deputy in office, Manuel Chang, detained in South Africa since December under an international arrest warrant issued by the United States.
Chang, 63, was arrested at Johannesburg Airport on Dec. 29 as a result of a US extradition request for his alleged involvement in two billion dollars of fraudulent loans to corporations. # 39; State.
In the face of extradition requests from the United States and his home country, Chang has benefited from automatic immunity as a lawmaker.
The request for waiver of immunity was launched last week by the Office of the Attorney General of Mozambique and the Supreme Court.
"We have deliberated in favor of the request but the Supreme Court knows what to do," Antonio Amelia, deputy speaker of Parliament, told reporters in Maputo, the capital.
"And we think the Supreme Court will respect the law."
However, opposition MPs boycotted the session on the grounds that it was a ploy to block Chang's extradition to the United States.
The United States alleges that Mr. Chang received $ 12 million to agree to sign a loan agreement to purportedly finance a tuna fishing fleet and a maritime surveillance project.
Chang returns to court in South Africa on Thursday the 31st to find out the result of his bail application.
Another hearing is scheduled for February 5 to determine Mozambique's extradition request following the previous US request.
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