Prosecutors investigating the involvement of Manuel Chang, the former Mozambican Finance Minister, in the Hidden Debts scandal (2.7 billion dollars), claim to have evidence that the amount paid in bribes is higher than has been claimed so far.

According to the Portuguese portal Voz da América, those men of justice say they can prove that another 13 million US dollars were paid in bribes, in addition to the five million dollars in bribes that Manuel Chang received from Privinvest for his own benefit.

Manuel Chang was extradited from South Africa to the United States of America on Wednesday morning (12). The following day, he appeared for the first time before the district judge of Brooklyn (New York), Nicholas Garaufis. At the hearing, he pleaded not guilty to the three counts of fraud against him. He set bail at one million dollars to obtain provisional release. The judge refused the request, arguing that Chang is an individual with a high potential for flight.

Chang's lawyers acknowledge and claim that he signed the documents for the issuance of the bonds in fulfillment of his role as Finance Minister.

"From his position he signed them, but it wasn't his decision," said lawyer Adam Ford.

"The evidence of his responsibility is strong," said Judge Garaufis, denying him release on bail.

Chang is accused of wire fraud, real estate fraud and money laundering, and of having been bribed by the Privinvest company to secure the government's support for the issuance of two billion dollars of debt securities.