Thabo Bester escape: Three G4S employees to remain in custody as case postponed

Three more G4S employees arrested in connection to Thabo Bester‘s prison escape will remain behind bars after their case was postponed.

‘Bail information’

The three suspects, aged between 37 and 47, made their first appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

It was confirmed by the state that the men had no previous convictions.

Thabang Mier is facing a charge of assisting an inmate to escape, while Joel Lekhari Makhetha and Moeketsi April Ramolula face three charges, which include assisting an inmate to escape, violation of a body, and corruption.

The accused will return to court next Monday for the state to decide whether to oppose bail or not.

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“On the application brought before me by the public prosecutor for you to be joined to this case… the application is hereby granted.

“By agreement between the state and defence, the case is remanded till 3 July for bail information. All three of you will remain in custody until then,” Magistrate Motlholo Khabisi said during court proceedings on Wednesday.

The men were arrested on Monday night, at their homes in Botshabelo and Bloemfontein, according to the police.

This has brought the number of people implicated in Bester’s escape to 12 although the possibility of more arrests has not been ruled out.

Watch the court proceedings below:

Bester escape

The three new suspects will at a later stage join their co-accused Bester, his partner Dr Nandipha Magudumana, her father Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara, Zanda Moyo, former Integritron Integrated Solutions camera technician Teboho Lipholo, suspended G4S employee Tieho Frans Makhotsa, former G4S guard Buti Masukela and suspended G4S employee Natassja Jansen.

Sekeleni and Jansen are currently out on R10 000 bail each, while the others remain in custody.

At this stage, Bester and Magudumana haven’t formally apply for bail.

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All suspects, who face a range of charges – including fraud, arson, assisting an inmate to escape, and defeating the ends of justice, will return to court on 8 August.

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year. It was initially believed that he had died after setting himself alight in his cell.

However, an investigation revealed that the charred body that was used as a decoy in the escape was that of Free State resident Katlego Bereng.

The death of one of the investigators in the matter was confirmed by the police earlier this month.

National police commissioner Fannie Masemola indicated that there was no foul play in Brigadier Jackson Mkhaulesi’s death as it was suspected that he had died by suicide.