Chauke in court for '94 escape
2003-03-31 14:36
Pretoria - Convicted armed robber Collen Chauke appeared briefly in the Pretoria local prison court on Monday on a charge of escaping from jail nearly 10 years ago.
Gauteng correctional services spokesperson Isaac Mosiane said the matter had been postponed to April 7 as Chauke's legal representative failed to show up for the hearing.
Chauke faces a charge of escaping from the Pretoria local prison on February 25, 1994 while serving a four-year sentence for car theft. He was rearrested on April 22 that year.
After his release from prison, Chauke was found guilty in 2001 of robbing a depot of the SBV security company in Pretoria of R12.6m in October 1997, and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
He was given an additional five-year sentence last year for escaping from jail in December 1997 while awaiting the SBV trial.
Chauke is serving his sentence in Pretoria's C-Max prison.
Prison courts are used to hear cases involving crimes committed by inmates during their incarceration, Mosiane said.
- SAPA