Woman held for freeing convicts

2008-01-15 16:42

Johannesburg - A Johannesburg High Court employee was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the unlawful release of hardened criminals from prison, Johannesburg police said.

Inspector Sanku Tsunke said the 30-year-old woman was arrested this (Tuesday) morning and would appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court later in the day.

"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 hardened 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 will continue on Thursday.

Mahuma is hailed the "mastermind" behind the scam as she visited the prison and made arrangements with families of convicted prisoners for their release.

After finding her "customers", Mahuma and her co-accused (the woman arrested on Tuesday) would send fraudulent documents to Dawson and Ali at the Magistrate's Court.

They would then fax them to the Department of Correctional Services, stating that a prisoner had been granted an appeal.

Tsunke said the syndicate freed 12 prisoners fraudulently 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