One of the lawyers representing one of the accused in the Thabo Bester escape saga has withdrawn from the case.
Bonolo Thebe, legal representative for Zimbabwean national Zanda Moyo who allegedly lived with Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana told SABC News that he will no longer be representing accused number 9.
Moyo is charged with violating a body, fraud, and harbouring and concealing an escaped convict.
This latest development comes days before the pre-trial conference is due to sit in the High Court in Bloemfontein.
2023 Year in Review I Thabo Bester prison escape case grips the nation:
Top officials at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein have been implicated in a money-for-jobs scandal. They allegedly solicited protection fees from inmates and ran an elaborate sex ring.
The officials also allegedly intended to unfairly implicate their colleagues who have long service in wrongdoing to prevent them from getting their benefits.
A leaked bank statement belonging to an inmate at the G4S-managed facility shows payments from the inmate to several officials. They include the head of security, an internal investigator and officials from Human Resources and operations.
An inmate has told SABC News that a cellphone belonging to the inmate who is the alleged paymaster was handed to the Correctional Services Controllers this morning.
Convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester escaped from the facility in May 2022.
