Three of the accused in the Thabo Bester case were granted R10,000 bail each by the Free State high court on Wednesday.
Senoho Matsaora, Teboho Lipholo and Tieho Makhotsa successfully appealed their bail judgment after they were denied bail by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court.
The judgment was handed down electronically by circulation to the parties legal representatives.
The court upheld the appeal and set aside the magistrate’s order refusing bail pending the outcome of the trial.
The court ruled that the three must appear at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on each date to which the trial has been remanded.
They must report to the Kagisanong police station on Mondays between 6am and 6pm. They have been ordered not to directly or indirectly have contact with any state witness.
The court also ruled that the three should not leave the area of Bloemfontein without the written permission of the investigating officer.
Lipholo’s lawyer Tshotlego Makamedi confirmed his client is one of the three who were released on bail.
He said the conditions were that he shouldn’t leave the jurisdiction of Bloemfontein without informing the investigating officer.
“There was no appearance, judgment was handed down electronically and shared with the representatives of the accused as well as the director of public prosecutions,” he said.
Earlier the National Prosecuting Authority Free State regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed the three were released on bail.
“Yes, they were released on bail of R10,000 each. Our prosecutors are studying the judgment and we will give a response once they have finished,” he said.
Twelve people have so far been arrested in connection with Bester’s audacious escape from Mangaung prison, seven of them are either current or former employees of the security company.
The release of these three brings the number of bailed suspects to six.
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