A former prison official believes that there was someone within Mangaung Prison who helped the Facebook rapist Thabo Bester escape. He said it could be three people who helped Bester execute his plan, the officer in the camera control room, the officer guarding the cells unit and the delivery supervisor. He said all three were at the top of his list of suspects.
Tatolo Setlai told SABC that the internal investigation should also focus on officials who would have pulled some strings for a corpse to be brought into the prison premises.
“For me if I look at the setup which I know very well. He was helped. There’s no way that a person who was working in that unit could not noticed someone coming in and out of their cell. I want to say that the official who were working night shift should also be held accountable for the escape.
" He said bribery must have been involved “Money plays a very important role in prison, otherwise you will struggle and be in a position of vulnerability. When you have money you’re in a position of power and some prison officials will help you get access to a lot of things.”
He said Bester did not escape on foot, there was a car waiting for him and that car entered the sally port and that’s where deliveries are dropped off. That section is controlled by the supervisor and no one is granted access unless he gives the go ahead.
Sunday Times revealed Thabo Bester, allegedly walked out of Mangaung maximum security prison during his daring May 2022 escape disguised as a warder, with the help of prison officials…
Body used in escape is said to have been hidden in the prison’s fridge and later moved in a wheelchair to his prison cell.
