A Johannesburg High Court employee was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the unlawful release of hardened criminals from prison, Johannesburg police said.
Spokesperson Inspector Sanku Tsunke said the 30-year-old woman was expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court later on Tuesday.
”She was charged with corruption, fraud, defeating the ends of justice and aiding and abetting an escapee from lawful custody.”
The arrested woman was a member of a syndicate responsible for releasing criminals from the Johannesburg Prison in exchange for money.
The syndicate had four members. Nicole Dawson and Trevor Ali, appeals clerks at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, are currently out on bail after they were arrested last year for their involvement in the scam.
The alleged mastermind behind the scam and a senior registry clerk at the Johannesburg High Court, Refilwe Mahuma (44) was arrested on Friday.
She applied for bail on Monday and her application was expected to continue on Thursday.
Mahuma apparently visited the prison and made arrangements with families of convicted prisoners for their release.
After finding her ”customers”, Mahuma and her co-accused would send fraudulent documents to Dawson and Ali at the Magistrate’s Court.
The pair would then fax the documents to the Department of Correctional Services, stating that a prisoner had been granted an appeal.
Tsunke said the syndicate had freed 12 prisoners between 2006 and 2007.
The fee paid to the syndicate for unlawful release is believed to be R50 000.
”One of the 12 illegally released prisoners has been re-arrested,” Tsunke said.
Motlhabane Moeketsi (29) was serving 15-years for hijacking at the Johannesburg Prison when he was fraudulently released in November 2006, he said. – Sapa