Media restrictions in Magudumana bail application

The media was on Thursday barred from recording or broadcasting live the bail proceedings of socialite doctor Nandipha Magudumana and a group of other people implicated in the prison escape of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.

The accused are appearing in the Bloemfontein magistrate's court.

The media will, however, be allowed to broadcast live the closing arguments by the state and defence and also record or broadcast live the judgment.

The court has ordered evidence of the witnesses and the accused, not be recorded or broadcast live.

“The live recording of the bail proceedings will only be allowed after all evidence has been adduced.

“The closing arguments by the state prosecutor and the defence teams may be recorded. It will also be allowed when the court delivers judgment with regard to the bail application.”

It was initially believed Bester had died in his prison cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022. 

Once allegations surfaced that the burnt body found in his cell was not his, Magudumana and Bester fled the country and were detained in Tanzania last month. 

Police investigations have since unravelled a web of crime which allegedly saw Magudumana and Bester rope in G4S security officials stationed at the Mangaung prison to assist in Bester's prison break.

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