Three individuals involved in the case of a rapist and murderer who escaped from prison have had their charges dismissed.
Thabo Bester managed to break out of a South African prison last year by simulating his own death through a cell fire.
This escape triggered significant outrage in South Africa, where he was widely referred to as the “Facebook rapist” because he used the social media platform to deceive women with promises of job opportunities before assaulting them.
On Wednesday, Bester and nine other individuals had their charges related to the escape officially confirmed, paving the way for the trial to proceed.
Initially, twelve people, including Bester, were charged in connection with the prison break, but three of them had their charges dropped on Wednesday.
The state did not provide an explanation for the dropped charges, but it is believed that Nastaja Jansen, Thabang Mier, and Moeketsi Ramulula had their charges withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
During the court proceedings, Bester’s legal team alleged that his telephone conversations had been recorded by the Department of Correctional Service, an allegation that the state denied.
The court was informed that the case would be ready for transfer to the high court for pre-trial proceedings on February 21 of the following year.