JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African court denied former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang bail on Friday, one of his lawyers said, meaning he will for now remain in custody in connection with a $2 billion fraudulent loan case.

Chang, who denies wrongdoing, has been in custody in South Africa since Dec. 29, when he was arrested on U.S. charges related to his alleged role in a national debt scandal in Mozambique.