The US Department of Justice has dropped the indictment against Manuel Chang for conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

In the meantime, the former finance minister will face two other charges, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to Success TVManuel Chang's trial will begin next Monday (15), according to a US source.

The source did not reveal the reasons for the international court dropping the securities fraud charges against Chang.

The former Finance Minister has been named as the key player in Mozambique's biggest financial scandal, known as Hidden Debts. This is a case of approving loans without the approval of the Assembly of the Republic to make projects viable for three companies, Mozambique Asset Management (MAM), Empresa Moçambicana de Atum (EMATUM), and ProIndicus. The loans cost the Mozambican state more than 2.7 billion US dollars.

Manuel Chang has been detained in South Africa since December 2018. He was extradited to stand trial in the United States in 2023.