I feared for my life, says man suspected of aiding Bester

Days before former G4S employee Teboho Lipholo was arrested for allegedly aiding Thabo Bester to escape from prison, he had made several calls to police fearing that his colleagues would kill him.

These revelations were made by Lt-Col Tieho Jobo of the Free State Organised Crime at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court yesterday during the bail application of the people accused of helping Bester to escape from Mangaung Correction Centre (MCC) last year.

Jobo was cross-examined by the state prosecutor Sello Matlhoko as he was testifying against the accused Senohe Matsoara, Lipholo, Motenyani Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen, who were applying for bail. The state is opposing their bail.

Lipholo worked at the prison as a technician in charge of surveillance cameras and electrical doors and according to the state, he had played a role in the malfunction of cameras on the night Bester escaped. He was arrested on April 14 this year.

Jobo told the court that a week before his arrest, Lipholo had called his offices seeking an urgent meeting with him before an appointment was even organised. The investigating officer said Lipholo pleaded to meet a trustworthy cop who could handle confidential information because he feared for his life as he had told some of his neighbours about his involvement in Bester’s escape and had also implicated some of his colleagues.

“He then spoke to one of our colleagues, who is also a colonel and they finally made an appointment to meet at Mimosa Mall. They met there and had a long discussion, where he (Lipholo) told the colonel about the escape, who were involved and how it happened. He even told him about his role in aiding Bester’s escape possible,” Jobo told the court, without revealing the role Lipholo played in the escape. He said Lipholo was immediately arrested at the shopping centre and police also visited his home, where he was running a small livestock farm with his wife.

At the time of his arrest, Lipholo was still an employee and he was dismissed after his arrest on 14 April.

“As a technician, he was one of the staffers who were surveilling the cameras and doorways since they were operated electronically,” said Jobo said.

Masukela, Makhotsa and Jansen were nabbed after Lipholo’s arrest.

Testifying on Matsoara, another G4S employee who was the first person to be arrested in SA when Bester and his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana were nabbed in Tanzania on April 7, Jobo said their records showed that Motsoara’s VW car was registered under his name but its address was that of his sister. It is alleged that Motsoara bought the car last year and lived a lavish lifestyle after he was paid to help Bester flee.

Earlier yesterday Magudumana provisionally abandoned her bail application following the emergence of new information. Her bail hearing was postponed to Tuesday, where she will be joined by Bester and her father Zolile Sekeleni on the dock.

But before the court adjourned, the prosecutor indicated that the state had strong evidence against the accused, which would be tabled today (Friday).