Fugitive businessperson Misozi Chanthunya has applied for a judicial review by a South African court on a decision by that country’s Home Affairs Minister to extradite him back to Malawi.
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Apoche Itimu confirmed the development in an interview on Wednesday.
Chanthunya, who is suspected of murdering his pregnant 25-year-old Zimbabwean girlfriend Linda Gasa in September 2010 at his private cottage in Mangochi, was arrested in South Africa in 2012.
After the arrest, Malawi asked the South African government to extradite him but the murder suspect took the issue to court, seeking to stop his forced return home.
“The minister ordered that he should be extradited to Malawi but right now he has commenced judicial review proceedings challenging the minister’s decision,” Itimu said.
She said government is yet to receive the date for the judicial review hearing from the South African court.
Itimu said the two governments have an extradition agreement that is why Malawi was able to apply for the extradition.
She said all the processes are currently being handled by the South African government while Malawi government officials once in a while visit that country to see how things are progressing.
In February this year, Chanthunya withdrew court battles against his extradition opting that South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister should handle his case.
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