South Africa appeals against block on Bushiri extradition
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Nyasa Times
Pretoria has lodged an appeal against the High Court decision blocking the extradition of pastor Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary, who face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering. South Africa cites 14 grounds for appeal, accusing the court of applying criminal trial rules to an extradition proceeding, according to Director of Public Prosecutions Dzikondianthu Malunda.
South Africa has filed an application for leave to appeal on 14 grounds against the High Court decision blocking the extradition to the country of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary Bushiri, according to Nyasa Times. Pretoria disputes, among other things, the standard of proof applied by the judge, the rejection of documentary evidence and the assessment of whether they could be brought before a South African court.
The South African government also argues that the extradition proceedings were treated as a criminal trial and that the Bushiris were given opportunities to cross-examine witnesses and present their own evidence. Pretoria further disputes the findings that their extradition would be unfair or oppressive because of the passage of time and says the conditions for a fair trial and the possible political nature of the request were not properly examined, according to Nyasa Times.
Shepherd and Mary Bushiri left South Africa for Malawi in November 2020 while on bail. South African authorities have since sought their extradition on charges of fraud, theft and money laundering, which the couple denies, while the two spouses cite the risk of not receiving a fair trial and concerns about their safety, reports Nyasa Times.
