/ 10 December 2006

How Annanias Mathe slipped out of C-Max

South Africa’s most dangerous criminal, Annanias Mathe, did not use vaseline to slip out of his cell window in the high security C-Max prison but walked out after paying warders an R80 000 bribe, reported the Sunday Times.

Mathe escaped on November 18 and was shot and recaptured by a vehicle tracking company on Monday when he stole a car. He faces more than 60 charges of attempted murder, rape, hijacking, housebreaking and armed robbery.

The paper reported that the bribe was allegedly paid to warders by four members of Mathe’s gang who raised the money in Xicumbane village in Xai Xai district in Mozambique, where Mathe lived with his two wives and five children.

His wives, Filistra (26) and Elizabeth (24) said they knew of the bribe and that the gang had again collected money after Mathe’s arrest and left for Johannesburg on Thursday to pay another bribe to get him out again.

Mathe’s gang allegedly earlier paid R15 000 to get him out of the Johannesburg Central prison.

Eight Correctional Services officials have been suspended over the escape. – Sapa