Pre-trial proceedings in the Thabo Bester prison escape case are expected to begin at the Free State High Court on Friday. Bester, his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana and several others face charges linked to his dramatic escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022.
Bester was serving life imprisonment for murder and rape when he allegedly escaped in May 2022. Authorities said a body was found in a fire inside his cell in what was allegedly an attempt to make it appear that he had died.
[Durban Family Desperate For News Of Missing 33-Year-Old Woman After Nepal Floods]
He remained on the run for almost a year before he was arrested alongside Maguduman ba in Tanzania in 2023.
Thabo Bester Prison Escape Case Faces Legal Hurdles
The Thabo Bester prison escape case has faced repeated delays because of outstanding legal challenges. The accused face charges including escaping from lawful custody, aiding and abetting an escape, corruption, arson, fraud and violating a body.
SEE TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES ACROSS LEADING PUBLICATIONS
Friday’s proceedings are expected to establish whether the outstanding legal matters have been resolved and whether the case is ready to proceed to trial.
Bester and Magudumana are expected to attend the hearing virtually.
