G4S Says They Fired 3 Employees After Thabo Bester’s Prison Escape, Suspicions Raised: “Another Cover-up”

• G4S, the security company responsible for running Mangaung Correctional Centre, says they axed three employees who were on duty the night Thabo Bester escaped
• The private contractor denies that Bester escaped, maintaining he died in the fire that broke out in his cell
• Citizens are suspicious about the employees' dismissals, accusing G4S of trying to cover the issue up

BLOEMFONTEIN - G4S, the private contractor responsible for running the maximum-security prison that Thabo Bester escaped from, is apparently hurrying to put out fires.

The correction service said they let go of three employees for their conduct on the night a fire broke out in Bester's cell and the inmate reportedly escaped.

The employees were suspended after the incident on 3 May 2022. They were subsequently sacked some months later, eNCA reported.

G4S maintains Thabo Bester died on the night of the prison cell fire

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The Department of Correctional Services confirmed on Saturday, 25 March, that the body burned in the fire did not match the inmate's and Bester had escaped. G4S Correctional Service, on the other hand, is sticking to its story and maintains that Bester died in the prison cell fire, TimesLIVE reported.

The private contractor's insistences don't correlate with a post-mortem report on the charred body found in Bester's cell. The report revealed that the deceased died from blunt force trauma to the head before the fire broke out.

DSC and the police are now racing against the clock to uncover the identity of the body and a case of murder has been opened against the fugitive, Thabo Bester.

G4S's dismissal of 3 employees raises red flags for South Africans

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Into the mind of Thabo Bester: Psychologist says fugitive is an intelligent and sophisticated con man

Citizens have speculated that G4S is up to no good after firing the three employees who were on duty the night of the cell fire.

Below are some comments.

Francoise Hannah Phillips said:

"Sacking is just not good enough, another cover-up. We want full criminal accountability for all involved."

Maibonge Chewu asked:

"If they believe Bester died in the fire, why fire the guards?"

Makhetha Wa Mokadimotso Solle claimed:

"G4S is just looking out for its image, nothing else. To be honest, they are fooling us."

Senganga Manganga marvelled:

"I can't believe they're not even agreeing on the same statement, this just sounds like a joke."

Linda Collins demanded:

"Only waking up now... They must give full details of the deceased and take responsibility."

Siyabonga Samukelo Simelane slammed:

"It's shocking that people continue to stick to clear lies. Very shocking. Undermining our thinking capacity."

Psychologist describes Thabo Bester as an intelligent and sophisticated con man whose crimes escalated in jail

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In another story about Thabo Bester's escape, Briefly News reported that a criminal psychologist, Dr Gerard Labuschagne, has given South Africans a looking into the workings of the mind of Thabo Bester.

Labuschagne, the former head of the SAPS investigative psychology section, interviewed the convict in 2011. In his assessment of Bester, Labuschagne concluded that the criminal is an intelligent and sophisticated con man.

Dr Labuschagne added that Bester's time in jail did little to set him on the right path as his crimes only escalated during his incarceration, Newsroom Afrika reported.

Source: Briefly News