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The Minister of Justice and Corrections, Ronald Lamola, has announced the arrest of fugitive Thabo Bester in Tanzania along with his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Mugudumana, and a Mozambican national.
He announced the arrest on Saturday in the company of the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.
Minister Lamola said South African officials had confirmed with Tanzania and Interpol that the three were being processed in terms of that country’s criminal justice system following their arrest on Friday night.
He said a team from South Africa will leave for Tanzania on Sunday, adding that he was confident of the “cooperation” of the authorities there.
Lamola, who on Friday announced that the United Arab Emirates had turned down South Africa’s extradition application for the Gupta brothers, said the cooperation by Tanzanian authorities was “exemplary.”
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Police Minister, Bheki Cele said the three were arrested as they were apparently about to leave Tanzania and were allegedly found to be in the possession of several passports.
He said the team that will be sent to Tanzania “will help us bring them back.”
Meanwhile, Lamola reiterated that a case of murder is also under investigation in relation to Bester’s escape from Mangaung prison last year after DNA analysis showed that the charred body found in his cell was not him.
He said the deceased died of blunt force trauma and was already dead prior to the fire in Bester’s cell at the privately-run Mangaung Prison.
The so-called Facebook rapist was serving a life sentence for rape and murder.
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