The faces of witnesses in the bail application of the six accused of assisting and abetting murderer and rapist Thabo Bester cannot be shown in the media, Acting Chief Magistrate Lindiwe Mbasa has ruled on Thursday.
The bail application is taking place in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and Friday.
Mbasa says on the days of the hearing of the formal bail applications, no live recording of the proceedings shall be permitted. This includes the testimony of witnesses called, the testimony of accused persons, and the respective cross-examination that will follow.
She says although broadcasting of the live proceedings is not allowed, recording of the proceedings is allowed to be played at a later stage while protecting the witnesses.
The six accused, including Bester’s partner Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who allegedly assisted rape and murder convict Thabo Bester in escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, will apply for bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and Friday.
Earlier Legal analyst Thabo Molete said that the bail application for the accused will be determined by their personal circumstances.
Molete said the seriousness won’t make things easy for the accused to get bail.
“You remember that one of the accused was apprehended somewhere in Africa, so there is a likelihood that once she is admitted to bail, she might escape again or flee. So based on those I’m saying that some might get bail but there are those that we know that won’t get bail.”
More details in the report below:
