Four accused in the Thabo Bester escape saga appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Dr Nandipha Magudumana, Senohe Matsoara and Teboho Lipholo will remain in custody. Zollile Sikele, Maguduman’s father, was granted R10 000 bail. Picture: Timothy Bernard / African News Agency (ANA)
Dr Nandipha Magudumana and her co-accused, G4S prison warden Senohe Matsoara, and Integritron CCTV technician, Tebogo James Lipholo, who have been remanded in custody, are expected to make a bid to be released on bail this week.
Their bail application has been set down for Wednesday and Thursday in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
They are facing, among others, charges of murder, aiding the escape of a prisoner, and defeating the ends of justice in the dramatic escape of Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from the maximum secret Mangaung Correctional Centre exactly a year ago.
For a year, Bester lived a lavish life with his celebrity doctor girlfriend, Magudumana.
After news of his escape became publicly known, the two went on the run. They were found in Tanzania.
When the mother of two last appeared in court, the State said they intended to oppose their bail.
Police have arrested eight people on suspicion of aiding Bester’s prison escape.
On Monday, the police ministry said two more former G4S employees were arrested in connection with the prison escape. The two suspects are believed to have worked at the facility’s control room centre.
The two former G4S employees are due to make their first appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where they are expected to face charges of assisting an inmate escape from custody and defeating the ends of justice.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
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