Dr Nandipha Magudumana was denied bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“The applicant is a flight risk and no bail conditions will assist. I find that she didn't satisfy the court that she be released on bail,” Magistrate Estelle De Lange said, handing down her judgement.
Magudumana applied for bail for the first time two weeks ago since her arrest in April.
She was arrested with her lover, convicted Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who faked his death at the Mangaung Correctional Centre and escaped in May last year. Magudumana was allegedly a central figure in planning and coordinating Bester’s escape, with the State describing her as the mastermind.
She faces multiple charges of fraud, violating a body, corruption, arson, assisting an inmate to escape, harbouring and concealing an escaped prisoner, and defeating the ends of justice.
Magistrate De Lange said Magudumana had access to the witness list, although she does not have access to the witness statements.
The court also expressed that she was the main role player in Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre and thus if she was released could access resources to attempt to have him break out again as he would be transported to and from court from prison.
The magistrate said the trial against Magudumana and her co-accused will head to the high court in Bloemfontein and is expected to be a drawn out affair that would take several months to conclude.
Magudumana has been in custody for five months.
The matter has been postponed until October 11 for further investigation.