A South African fugitive who faked his own death in a prison break that disgraced authorities have been arrested in Tanzania, the government said on Saturday.
Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist, escaped from a private prison in Bloemfontein in May last year, but South African police only found out last month.
On Saturday, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Bester was arrested by Tanzanian authorities on Friday night along with two other people: a woman he is said to be romantically involved with and another person.
“We can confirm that fugitive Mr. Thabo Bester with his accomplice Dr. Nandipha Maguduma(na) together with a Mozambican national have been arrested in Tanzania late last night,” Lamola told a press conference.
Bester was believed to have died after setting himself on fire behind bars, but in late March police said DNA tests revealed the charred remains found in his cell were from someone else person
Dubbed the “Facebook Rapist”, Bester allegedly lured victims to the social media platform before raping and robbing them. He killed at least one victim.
In 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, robbery and murder.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said the three were being held in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha, near the Kenyan border, as they tried to leave the country.
Authorities stopped the black SUV the fugitives were traveling in after it left a hotel. The suspects had arrived in Arusha from Dar es Salaam, Cele said
The suspects were each in possession of several passports, he added.
Tanzanian authorities identified the third person as Zakaria Alberto.
“They are all being held by the police,” Tanzanian police spokesman David Misime said in a statement.
“Arrangements for legal communications both locally and internationally are ongoing.”
Doubts about Bester’s death were first raised by local media outlet GroundUp in November.
Last month, police opened a new murder investigation after an autopsy revealed the body found in Bester’s cell had died of blunt force trauma to the head before being set on fire.
The identity of the body is still unknown.
Earlier this week, police raided a villa in an affluent Johannesburg suburb where Bester was thought to have spent time hiding with Magudumana.
Lamola said a South African delegation will travel to Tanzania tomorrow to return the fugitives.
“We are confident that we will receive the utmost cooperation from our sister nation, Tanzania, to help us bring these fugitives to justice,” Lamola said.
British private security company G4S, which operates the prison from which Bester escaped, has said that three employees have been dismissed in connection with the incident.
