Thabo Bester CCTV technician was offered R2.5 million bribe

Thabo Bester CCTV technician was offered R2.5 million bribe. (Read More Here).

He faces charges of aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody, defeating the ends of justice, and violation of a dead body. 

It was believed Bester died in his cell in May last year. However, last month authorities conceded Bester had escaped from prison on 3 May 2022 after news website GroundUp revealed the body found in the cell was not Bester’s.

Magudumana appeared in the dock on Wednesday at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court alongside four former employees of Mangaung Correctional Centre, Senohe Matsoara, Motenyani Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen; and Teboho Lipholo, a CCTV technician and former employee of Integritron Security Services.

Jansen and Makhotsa were arrested last weekend, bringing the number of accused in the matter to eight.

Sekeleni was released on R10,000 bail on 17 April. Bester declined to apply for bail and remains in custody.

News24 reported on Tuesday that the 16 counts on the charge sheet include violating a dead body, corruption, fraud, arson, and assisting an escape.

The state believes that Bester, Magudumana, Matsoara and Lipholo claimed an unidentified body from a morgue between 7 and 12 April 2022, saying that the body was that of Magudumana’s father.

Thabo Bester’s partner Nandipha Magudumana and five other accused in the case will remain in custody after their bail hearing was postponed to 11 and 12 May.

Prosecutor Sello Matlhoko requested the postponement so that the state could prepare further, as two of the accused were only arrested last weekend.

Eight people, including Bester himself and Magudumana’s father Zolile Sekeleni, now stand accused in the case. Between them, they face 16 charges, including assisting an escape, arson, fraud and corruption. Some of the accused were previously charged with murder, but that charge has since been dropped.

Magudumana appeared in the dock on Wednesday at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court alongside four former employees of Mangaung Correctional Centre, Senohe Matsoara, Motenyani Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen; and Teboho Lipholo, a CCTV technician and former employee of Integritron Security Services.

Jansen and Makhotsa were arrested last weekend, bringing the number of accused in the matter to eight.

Sekeleni was released on R10,000 bail on 17 April. Bester declined to apply for bail and remains in custody.

News24 reported on Tuesday that the 16 counts on the charge sheet include violating a dead body, corruption, fraud, arson, and assisting an escape.

The state believes that Bester, Magudumana, Matsoara and Lipholo claimed an unidentified body from a morgue between 7 and 12 April 2022, saying that the body was that of Magudumana’s father.

Matsoara also faces a charge of arson for allegedly playing a part in starting a fire in Bester’s cell.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng SAPS tracking team seized a white Porsche Cayenne, believed to belong to Magudumana, in Lichtenburg, North West. 

“[The] 28-year-old male driver has since been taken into police custody where he is currently being questioned,” said Mathe.