SWAKOPMUND – The mystery surrounding the sensational killings of Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology (Nimt) executive director Eckhard Mueller and his deputy Heimo Hellwig was compounded by the fact that there was no arrest as of late yesterday.
Weeping employees and students of Nimt were sent home yesterday morning, as police pieced together shreds of evidence to help establish the cold-blooded murder of Mueller (72) and his deputy Hellwig (60).
The two came face to face with their killer who shot them at close range as they were about to open the Arandis Nimt campus between 06h00 and 0630 in time for the arrival of students and employees.
Their bodies, laying in a pool of blood, were found by a hostel matron on duty, while the key – which the two officials presumably were using to open the office block – remained in the door.
Still in shock, Nimt Arandis campus principal Ralph Bussel told New Era that the lifeless bodies of Mueller and Hellwig were discovered by the matron who in turn alerted his superiors and Nampol at Arandis.
According to Bussel, Mueller and Hellwig and a third employee, who all live in Swakopmund, travelled together to and from Arandis every day.
However yesterday, only the two men travelled together to Arandis as the third employee travelled to Arandis with his wife on the day.
“The whole school is traumatised and still in shock. Hence management decided that we should close for the week and also avail a grief counsellor for staff and students who might need it as the scene was too shocking. What happened was a tragedy none of us saw coming,” he said yesterday.
Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, in his crime briefing yesterday, said that the two men were found with head and abdomen bullet wounds in front of the office block yesterday morning.
“We also collected eight spent cartridges of a 9 millimetre pistol at the scene. The suspect(s) are currently unknown at this stage as well as the motive behind the murders. However our investigators are working round the clock to get the suspect(s),” Iikuyu said yesterday.
Mueller had been at the helm of the institution and been serving it for the past 28 years as its executive director. Mueller, a widower, is survived by four children. Hellwig had been with Nimt for the past 22 years and is survived by his spouse and two children, according to Bussel.
Nimt staff members yesterday told New Era that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which has been alerted to alleged corruption at Nimt, was expected to start with its investigation yesterday morning at the Arandis campus.
The financially struggling institution has been on the ACC radar after allegations of corruption, nepotism, embezzlement, sexual harassment and jobs for relatives surfaced recently.
Police in Erongo are appealing to anyone with information on the killer(s) to contact Iikuyu at 082464757 or Detective Inspector Daniel Gurirab at 0812333745/082629842 or the nearest police station.