Those criminals are just becoming more and more creative with their daring escape plans, our friend el Chapo leading the way for the rest to follow. Now Radovan Krejcir wasn’t all that keen to be outdone, setting aside the small matter of R246 million to ensure his escape in a plan that was foiled last week.

It appears three wardens may have been paid R1,5 million each to aid and abet his escape, although it’s now gone belly up for those helping Radovan. Here’s IOL:

– The three warders have already been identified and their arrest is imminent.

– The fugitive has been transferred to an underground isolation cell after it had been established a helicopter was going to be used in the daring raid to free him.

– Some of the R246m was to pay for the chopper to spirit Krejcir away once he had escaped.

– A part of the money was to be used to pay all the people, including the cops, who were involved in the plan to spring him from jail and some would have been used to pay for the landing rights for a chartered plane to fly him out of the country.

Call me frugal but R246 million seems a little excessive, anyone with bribing experience knows that a lion or buffalo note usually helps turn someone’s head the other way. The Correctional Services Department also confirmed a number of other details:

They have also confirmed that three warders were paid R1.5m to smuggle a firearm and ammunition into Zonderwater Correctional Services and several illegal items, which were found in Krejcir’s cell…

…a firearm and ammunition were confiscated from Krejcir’s cell in a dramatic raid.

A knife, an item that looked like a Taser, a pepper-spray gun, screwdriver steel blades, 10 cellphones, a memory stick and a diary with the names of witnesses and investigators in all his criminal cases were also found.

This was after officials had received a tip-off of the escape plot.

National police spokesman Solomon Makgale said Krejcir was also found in possession of a sketch showing a detailed map of the prison building.

Unlucky mate, the South African version of Prison Break would have been a treat to watch. Back to the Zonderwater Correctional Services you go, although I imagine a few prison officials will be keen to talk business in the near future.

[source:iol]