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Police have announced the arrest of a 39–year-old former G4S employee and a 65-year-old man from Port Edward, as part of ongoing investigations into the escape of so-called Facebook rapist Thabo Bester.
National police spokesperson, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, said in a statement on Monday that the arrests were made over the weekend, and that the two are due to appear in court in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
“The former G4S employee was arrested at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 08 April 2023, while the 65-year-old man was arrested on Friday, 07 April 2023 at his home in Port Edward,” Mathe said.
She said both suspects have been charged with aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody.
Meanwhile, Mathe said the delegation led by the SAPS' Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili arrived in Arusha, Tanzania.
This followed the arrest of Bester, his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and a Mozambican national, identified as Zacharia Alberto, were arrested in Tanzania.
“The team is currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required towards bringing escapee Thabo Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa,” Mathe said.
Police are also investigating a case of murder DNA proved that the body found in Bester’s cell at Mangaung Correctional Centre was not his and that the person whose charred remains were found in his cell last year had died of blunt force trauma.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola has welcomed the latest arrests and said more arrests “could not be ruled out.”
He also appealed to the media and public for patience as the investigation into Bester’s dramatic escape continued.
