Four out of the five suspects implicated in the Thabo Bester case have been denied bail by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court, while Nastassja Jansen was granted bail under certain conditions.
Why was Nastassja Jansen released?
Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi presided over the court proceedings and announced the decision on Monday. Senohe Matsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Buti Masukela, and Tieho Frans Makhotsa were all denied bail after careful consideration of their applications and the charges they face.
Khabisi cited the interests of justice as the reason for the denial. Motsoara faces a total of 13 charges, including fraud, violation of a corpse, and arson.
Lipholo is facing 10 charges, including fraud and violation of a corpse. Masukela faces five charges, including fraud and arson, while Makhotsa faces six charges.
On the other hand, Jansen, referred to as accused 8 in the matter, was granted bail by Khabisi. The magistrate considered the state’s case against her as “porous” and found her personal circumstances to be sufficient grounds for bail.
Nastassja Jansen bail conditions revealed
However, Jansen’s bail is subject to conditions. She must report to a Bloemfontein police station every Friday at 06:00 and 18:00. Additionally, she is prohibited from contacting state witnesses or leaving Bloemfontein without informing the investigating officers.
The state initially proposed a bail amount of R5 000, but after a request from the state, Jansen was granted R10 000 bail.
The accused, along with Thabo Bester’s partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, are alleged to have assisted Bester in escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.
During the bail application, Masukela’s lawyer asserted his client’s innocence, stating that he had no involvement in the crime and received no financial benefit from it. Matsoara’s attorney also denied any financial transactions between his client and Bester.
Thabo Bester suspects set to return to court on this day in June 2023
An investigating officer, whose identity cannot be disclosed, expressed concerns about granting bail to the accused due to the seriousness of their alleged offences and the potential for unrest.
Meanwhile, Magudumana, who initially applied for bail, decided to file an urgent application in the high court in Bloemfontein, contesting the lawfulness of her arrest and detention.
Magudumana was arrested in Tanzania along with Bester in April 2023 and has remained in custody since then. In her court documents, she claims that the police had no valid court order authorising her transportation from Tanzania to South Africa and that no arrest warrant was issued.
She seeks to have the criminal proceedings before the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court declared null and void, and she demands her release from prison.
Magudumana will contest her arrest on Thursday, 1 June 2023, while Bester, Zolile Sekeleni and the other accused will return to court on 20 June 2023.