Police minister Bheki Cele and his counterpart justice minister Ronald Lamola are expected to update the nation on the fugitive Thabo Bester following news that he has been arrested in Tanzania.
“Minister of police, Gen Bheki Cele and justice minister, Ronald Lamola will at 2pm be updating the nation on the progress of the manhunt of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, who escaped from custody at the Mangaung Correctional Facility,” read a statement issued jointly by the police and justice and correctional services ministries.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, would neither confirm nor deny Bester, a convicted murderer and rapist who escaped from prison in May, has been nabbed.
Two sources – a police officer and one who is close to the investigation team that has been tracking Bester – told Sowetan anonymously that the arrest has been effected.
The police source described the arrest as "good news".
Sowetan understands that Interpol had been involved in tracing Bester.
Interpol said: "If or when police in any of Interpol's 195 member countries share information with the General Secretariat in Lyon in relation to investigations and individuals, this information remains under the ownership of that member country. Interpol does not therefore comment on specific cases or individuals except in special circumstances or with the approval of the member country concerned."
Sowetan last week reported how a bakkie drove into the maximum security prison in Free State with a wooden Kist. The incident took place hours before a charred corpse was found in a single cell in which Bester had been recently moved to.
Cele, Lamola to update the nation on Thabo Bester amid reports of his arrest
Image: Supplied
Police minister Bheki Cele and his counterpart justice minister Ronald Lamola are expected to update the nation on the fugitive Thabo Bester following news that he has been arrested in Tanzania.
“Minister of police, Gen Bheki Cele and justice minister, Ronald Lamola will at 2pm be updating the nation on the progress of the manhunt of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, who escaped from custody at the Mangaung Correctional Facility,” read a statement issued jointly by the police and justice and correctional services ministries.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, would neither confirm nor deny Bester, a convicted murderer and rapist who escaped from prison in May, has been nabbed.
Two sources – a police officer and one who is close to the investigation team that has been tracking Bester – told Sowetan anonymously that the arrest has been effected.
The police source described the arrest as "good news".
Sowetan understands that Interpol had been involved in tracing Bester.
Interpol said: "If or when police in any of Interpol's 195 member countries share information with the General Secretariat in Lyon in relation to investigations and individuals, this information remains under the ownership of that member country. Interpol does not therefore comment on specific cases or individuals except in special circumstances or with the approval of the member country concerned."
Sowetan last week reported how a bakkie drove into the maximum security prison in Free State with a wooden Kist. The incident took place hours before a charred corpse was found in a single cell in which Bester had been recently moved to.
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