'Mathe's skills helped escape'
20/02/2007 22:29  - (SA)  

Mathe: Prisons 'negligent' Mathe: Prisons 'negligent' Limping 'Houdini' in the dock Limping 'Houdini' in the dock 'This is not just an ordinary case' 'This is not just an ordinary case' 9 cops guard 'Houdini' 9 cops guard 'Houdini' 'Houdini' used bribe not vaseline 'Houdini' used bribe not vaseline

Cape Town - Given his military background, it was likely Ananias Mathe could have squeezed through the tiny window of a C-Max prison cell on his own to escape from jail last year, a ministerial task team has found.

It was possible he did so without the aid of prison warders, task -team member Paul Govindsamy told parliament's correctional services committee on Tuesday.

However, MPs disagreed.

African National Congress MP Nkosi Xolo said: "As a committee, we went to examine the cell from where he escaped and saw this (19cm-wide) window. There is no probability Mathe could have squeezed himself out of that there."

Govindsamy submitted that even forensic experts who examined the cell accepted there was a possibility Mathe could have escaped through the tiny window.

Ignored procedures

Task-team leader Graham Engel agreed with another MP that it would have been impossible for prison warders not to have noticed Mathe, even if he had got out through the window.

He told the committee that, on the day of the escape, there was evidence that certain guards at critical areas of the prison had ignored almost all prison procedures - including failing to visit all sectors and posts.

"This failure to visit sections and posts... resulted in a delay in the detection, discovery and raising of the escape alarm that could have either prevented the escape or ensured the immediate arrest of Mathe," he said.

Many of the warders on duty at the time had failed a polygraph test, Engel told the committee, but added there was not enough evidence suggesting the prison officials were bribed.

Nine officials suspended

"We were only given one month to investigate. We... need more time to investigate possible corruption and bribery of correctional services officials.

The task team, consisting of police, national intelligence agency and correctional services officials, had recommended that disciplinary action be taken against officials for non-compliance with duties, he said.

So far, the department has suspended nine officials implicated in Mathe's escape.

 

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