The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services has submitted an extradition request for Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church leader Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary.

While the law provides for the extradition request to be submitted within 30 days, the Justice Department said it submitted its application within two weeks.

This follows a request for a provisional arrest which was sent through Interpol in terms Article 10 of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol, which the couple is appealing.

“Given our sound and healthy diplomatic, strategic and political relationship, and our common citizenship of the SADC community, we are convinced that the Republic of Malawi will honour the letter and spirit of every provision of their international and regional obligations,” said Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola

Malawi Information Minister, Gospel Kazako, confirmed to eNCA that they received the request this morning. The attorney-general would look at it and “they’ll do everything according to the law”.

“I can confirm that we have received documentation from South Africa for the extradition of Bushiri and his wife. There is a very high likelihood that the appeal [against the provisional arrest] will have to be revised again and reviewed again, having received the request from South Africa. Only the law can stop Malawi from extraditing the couple.”

The self-proclaimed prophet is currently in Malawi after fleeing South Africa with his wife following their release on bail of R200,000 each last month, citing security reasons. Bushiri then published a list of demands to be met by the South African government before his return.

Bushiri, his wife, and others were arrested in October in connection with fraud, money laundering and theft worth more than R102 million.

Source: The Citizen