South African authorities have finally provided an update on Johann Steynberg’s Brazilian extradition.

The bad news? Steynberg is going to waste everybody’s time fighting the inevitable.

The good news? Get an extra large serving of popcorn ready.

We’ve heard nothing official from either South Africa or Brazil following Steynberg’s arrest in January.

Quoting a court order published on Monday,
Jan Vermuelen from MyBroadband reports
;

South Africa has asked the Brazilian government to extradite former Mirror Trading International CEO Johann Steynberg for various financial crimes.

Conducting financial services without a licence

Conducting a derivatives business unlicensed

Trading in financial products without a license

Fraud

Theft

Money laundering

The Brazilian court order has clarified that the South African government had obtained an Interpol Red Diffusion (A–488/1–2022) on Steynberg, resulting in him being identified.

Steynberg
fled South Africa
after the Mirror Trading International Ponzi
collapsed
in October 2020.

After Steynberg’s arrest, we promptly learned he quickly shacked up with and spent 2021
banging a Brazilian mistress
.

I initially put this down to Steynberg just being a horny toad. Turns out it might have been an extradition insurance policy.

In his bid to be released from custody, Steynberg assured the court he wasn’t a flight risk because he’d “started a family in Brazil”.

Jan Vermeulen points out Steynberg’s strategy is

reminiscent of famous train robber Ronald Biggs.

The United Kingdom failed to extradite Biggs from Brazil in 1974 because his girlfriend was pregnant with their son.

Steynberg left behind a wife and son when he fled South Africa.

Whether Nerina Steynberg is on board with Johann “starting a family in Brazil” is unclear.

The glaring hole in Steynberg’s plan is the only reason he’s in Brazil to begin with, is he left behind a wife and kid to go on the run in the first place.

“Your honor I’m not going to do the thing I just did again. Dear god, I have a family now-oh. Wait, I get it.

Yeah you should send me back. I’m absolutely a terrible person.

Can I call Nerina though? She’s going to be mad. This is worse than the time Clynton hid Cheri’s Lindt.”

The final argument raised by Steynberg was him being CEO of a $1.4 billion Ponzi scheme, didn’t “meet the requirements for extradition”.

Thankfully the Judge hearing Steynberg’s case had more sense then his now presumably pregnant mistress.

Brazilian supreme court justice André Mendonça was unmoved by Steynberg’s request and ordered that he remain under precautionary arrest pending his extradition hearing.

Mendonça ruled that taking up residence and starting a family in Brazil does not prevent precautionary arrest, nor does it protect Steynberg from extradition anymore.

As to 
when
Steynberg will be extradited;

Mendonça said South Africa’s embassy was informed of the arrest on 18 February, and it submitted a verbal note formalising th

🤖 Quick Answer

What are the charges against Johann Steynberg in the extradition case?
South African authorities have requested Brazil's extradition of former Mirror Trading International CEO Johann Steynberg on multiple charges including conducting unlicensed financial services, operating an unlicensed derivatives business, trading financial products without authorization, fraud, theft, and money laundering.

What is the current status of Johann Steynberg's extradition proceedings?
Following Steynberg's arrest in January, South African and Brazilian authorities have issued limited official updates. A Brazilian court order published in January confirmed South Africa's extradition request, indicating the legal process is advancing through the Brazilian judicial system.

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