Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele has revealed that Thabo Bester’s accomplice and alleged romantic partner, Nandipha Magudumana reportedly claimed three dead bodies.
Bester was believed to have died after setting himself on fire behind bars, but in late March police said DNA tests revealed the charred remains found in his cell belonged to someone else.
Cele was speaking about the alleged cover-up of the escape during a media briefing following the arrest Facebook rapist and Dr Magudumana.
“Police on this one, I don’t think they did any form of cover-up. There’s a story here, that the question of DNA was done by the police. The story again goes to say the honorable doctor, claimed three dead bodies – father, brother and customary husband. This (burned body in Bester’s cell) happened to be customary husband.
He said it was “quite a broad investigation”, adding that they will be arresting more people as they believe Magudumana “could not have done it alone” keeping Bester “safe and all that running”.
The Citizen reported that the three bodies were stolen from mortuaries in the Free State in a plot to help Bester escape prison.
According to Sunday Times Magudumana obtained the bodies over a few weeks prior to Bester’s escape from the Mangaung prison in May last year, the report said.
The report added that the body she claimed was her father had been found dumped in a river a week later, with the mortuary’s identification tag still attached to the toe as stated by Sunday Times.
The report said the body found in Bloemspruit dam still had the death register tag on it and the number on this tag was used to determine that Magudumana had claimed the body two weeks earlier.
Magudumana is now accused of committing insurance fraud with the three bodies, The South African reported.
The report alleged she collected over R1 million payout for each body.
Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May last year.
It was initially believed that he died in a fire in his cell, but DNA tests later confirmed that the body was not that of Bester.
He, Magudumana and a Mozambican national were arrested in Tanzania on Friday night.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
