News / Africa
SA cops hunt escaped prisoners
30 Sep 2013 at 07:00hrs | Views
Six awaiting trial prisoners who escaped from police custody in Secunda were still at large on Monday morning, Mpumalanga police said.
Seven prisoners escaped on Friday through a hole they made by digging out a toilet in their cell, Colonel Leonard Hlathi said.
"Police were told by two prisoners, who did not escape, that the escaped prisoners… used a steel pipe to dig a hole around the toilet.
"They removed the toilet and broke bricks from around the toilet then escaped through the hole."
Four of the escapees, Eric Mokoena, 27, Freddy Mokoena, 21, Thomas Tsibiso, 27, and Mbongi Maseko, 26, were arrested on Wednesday at a taxi rank in Secunda after allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint.
Lucky Mnisi, 22, was arrested on August 25, after he allegedly stole a laptop belonging to his father.
Siyanga Zungu, 26, was arrested for allegedly stealing a torch out of a car on September 19.
A seventh man was arrested for shoplifting a memory stick on September 21. He was rearrested on Saturday after he was caught shoplifting.
Police were still searching for the others on Monday morning.
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Thulani Ntobela expressed his concern about how the prisoners escaped, Hlathi said.
"He has already instituted an internal investigation to probe this incident.
"… Departmental steps will be taken against the members on duty, if it's found that they were negligent."
Hlathi said the escaped prisoners would face an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody.
Seven prisoners escaped on Friday through a hole they made by digging out a toilet in their cell, Colonel Leonard Hlathi said.
"Police were told by two prisoners, who did not escape, that the escaped prisoners… used a steel pipe to dig a hole around the toilet.
"They removed the toilet and broke bricks from around the toilet then escaped through the hole."
Four of the escapees, Eric Mokoena, 27, Freddy Mokoena, 21, Thomas Tsibiso, 27, and Mbongi Maseko, 26, were arrested on Wednesday at a taxi rank in Secunda after allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint.
Lucky Mnisi, 22, was arrested on August 25, after he allegedly stole a laptop belonging to his father.
A seventh man was arrested for shoplifting a memory stick on September 21. He was rearrested on Saturday after he was caught shoplifting.
Police were still searching for the others on Monday morning.
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Thulani Ntobela expressed his concern about how the prisoners escaped, Hlathi said.
"He has already instituted an internal investigation to probe this incident.
"… Departmental steps will be taken against the members on duty, if it's found that they were negligent."
Hlathi said the escaped prisoners would face an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody.
Source - Sapa
