Charges against 13 police officers, arrested for allegedly helping prisoners escape from the High Court in Johannesburg, have been dropped.
The police officers were arrested on Thursday evening for alleged involvement in the attempted escape of seven awaiting trial prisoners and the escape of another.
A senior prosecutor on Monday told the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court that they would not be pursuing the charges for now, the SABC reported.
Police investigations were continuing.
The arrest of the officers, with the highest held rank that of a captain, came after investigations into possible misconduct, gross negligence and aiding prisoners to escape, Colonel Noxolo Kweza said on Thursday.
The prisoners escaped from the court's basement just after their arrival at 7.45am, but police managed to re-arrest seven of them almost immediately outside the court.
One of them managed to escape and he was still being sought.
The prisoners, facing serious crime charges that included murder and robbery, were brought to court from Johannesburg prison in Naturena.
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