The United States said Tuesday it expects South Africa to hand over Maputo's ex-finance minister, held since December on a US warrant over corruption allegations -- despite a separate request from Mozambique.
Manuel Chang, 63, was arrested at Johannesburg's main airport on December 29 over alleged involvement in USD 2 billion (1.76 billion euros) of fraudulent loans to Mozambican state firms.
Both the US and Mozambique have issued their own extradition requests over the scandal that has shaken the poor southern African country.
US Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy said he expected Pretoria to honour the extradition accord it signed in September 1999.
"We have an extradition treaty with South Africa, we are very much expecting (extradition) will happen," Nagy told journalists during a phone briefing.
"The US expects South Africa to respond by extraditing Mr Chang to the United States."
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