Third arrest in Bester prison break as police question fourth suspect found with Magudumana’s Porsche

Police on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of yet another suspect for his alleged involvement in the escape of “Facebook rapist” and murderer Thabo Bester. 

One other person was still being questioned by police.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the third person was arrested in  Bloemfontein on three charges of aiding and abetting, defeating the ends of justice and violating a dead body.

Mathe said the arrested 44-year-old man is an employee contracted to a company that installs and maintains cameras for G4S at the Mangaung prison. 

“The fourth person was found driving a white Porsche which is believed to belong to Dr Nandipha Magudumana. He is in police custody and is being questioned by police,” she said.

Bester and his lover, Magudumana, were arrested in Tanzania on Friday, 10km from the Kenyan border. The convicted rapist and murderer was believed to have died during a fire in his cell. However, an autopsy revealed the person found in the cell died as a result of blunt-force trauma to the head.

On Tuesday, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, father of Magudumana, and his co-accused, former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara appeared at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court facing charges of aiding and abetting Bester in his audacious escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre last year.

They are also accused of arson, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

Magudumana’s father, 65, was arrested at the weekend at his Port Edward home, while the former prison warder, 39, was arrested in Bloemfontein by a multidisciplinary team investigating Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre.

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