A suspect known to have escaped from prison before and described by the SA Police Service as one of the most wanted criminals in the country, walked out of court and escaped to his freedom on Wednesday. And prison authorities wasted no time in pointing a finger at the police for his escape.
Bongani Moyo, 29, one of the four “most wanted” criminals whose pictures were released to the media by police in May in an attempt to have them arrested, is believed to have bowed to the magistrate as he walked out of court with a pile of papers under his arm. Correctional Services has blamed the police for Moyo’s escape.
“He was picked up by the police so he could go to court, and escaped under the nose of the police.
“We warned the police that this person had escaped before and therefore they should tighten their security,” Correctional Services spokesman Phumlani Ximiya told Reuters.
Moyo’s escape happened while the SAPS top brass in Gauteng was in a meeting at the Pretoria Central police station on Wednesday morning.
General Shadrack Sibiya, head of the Hawks in Gauteng, was at the scene of the escape moments after it was noticed, and closed off the court from which Moyo is believed to have fled.
Several Hawks officers also arrived on the scene and were seen having a lengthy meeting with Sibiya while questioning court staff, prisoners in the waiting cell and inspecting the area where Moyo was kept before escaping.
Police have confirmed that Moyo was apparently not locked up in the waiting cells like other prisoners, and was not in shackles as “most wanted” criminals usually are.
He did not have any extra police officers or prison warders guarding him, despite police saying he has been linked to 34 bank robberies since 2006 and escaped from Boksburg prison in March.
It is believed Moyo had pretended to be injured and unable to walk properly and was on crutches when he appeared in court on Wednesday.
Prisoners who are disabled or walking on crutches are usually not locked inside the cell and are allowed to sit on the bench near the holding cell, which is also used by lawyers to consult with the prisoners at court.
The crutches with which he was walking were found in the possession of one of his co-accused and police said they were ”baffled” about how he simply walked out of court.
Police sources close to the investigation claimed on Wednesday that one of the witnesses who was questioned claimed Moyo had bowed to the magistrate before walking out, with papers clutched under his arm.
“He was sitting between court 16 and 17 and escaped through court 16. At this stage, police are investigating how this could have happened and if there was any negligence.
“We are again appealing to the community to assist in putting him behind bars.
“Police are investigating a case of escape from lawful custody,” said spokeswoman Captain Katlego Mogale.
She said it was the responsibility of the SAPS and Correctional Service officials to ensure that dangerous criminals could not escape from custody when attending court cases.
Mogale said she could not answer some of the questions asked by the Pretoria News as police were still investigating how Moyo escaped.
The questions included why Moyo was not inside the holding cell as he is considered by the SAPS as a “most wanted criminal”; why he was not shackled like dangerous criminals are; and, why there were not enough police or Correctional Service guards with him if he was as dangerous as the public had been informed?
“We are still investigating and all those questions will be answered once we have investigated how all this happened.
“We are also baffled by how he managed to escape from custody like that,” said Mogale.
Moyo’s escape happened shortly after he had appeared with co-accused Leon Ncube, 27, Thabani Sibanda, 27, and Khubulani Sibanda, 30, on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of unlicensed firearms.
The four allegedly robbed a Standard Bank in Hatfield and made off with about R38 000 in cash.
Ncube was also appearing on a charge of attempted murder and malicious damage to property after he allegedly tried to run over a police officer with a car and crashed into a police vehicle at the Safari Hotel in Hillbrow, Joburg.
The case will resume on August 22. - Pretoria News