The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJOD) will lead a delegation to Malawi for the extradition hearing of controversial pastor Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary.
The hearing is expected to be heard in the Malawi High Court next Tuesday.
“In leading this delegation the department is fulfilling its role as a central authority. In the extradition context, a central authority is a designated government department that has the responsibility for receiving, managing and executing extradition requests.
“The delegation’s participation to the hearing is in line with section 6 of the Extradition Act of Malawi. [The delegation] consists of senior and highly experienced prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority, the Investigative Directorate and investigators from South African Police Services,” the department said.
In a judgement earlier this year, the court ruled that witnesses who will be called in the extradition hearing must be physically present in the court.
“The High Court further ruled that the witnesses required to traverse the provisions of this section are state agents who will be able to comprehensively address these issues,” the DJCOD said.
Bushiri and his wife are wanted in South Africa on charges of fraud and money laundering for their role in an alleged investment scheme worth some R100 million.