By Surihe Goamas
WINDHOEK
The Namibian Police are reportedly getting closer to finding out who the actual suspects are in a recent case in which a German tourist, 56-year-old Johannes Fellinger, was shot and killed by two robbers approximately 60 km outside Windhoek along the Daan Viljoen Dam Road.
Revealing this case at a recently held City of Windhoek Consultative Meeting on “Crime Against Tourists in Windhoek,” Chief Inspector Derek Bruno of the Namibian Police said that several people have been called in for questioning and that the police are closer to pinning the culprits.
“We get the feeling and the smell of the people involved in this case,” said Inspector Bruno.
He said the incident, which occurred last Sunday, is most unfortunate and tragic, but he reassures that this is a rare case in a country that has a positive record when it comes to tourism and the safety of foreign visitors.
“It’s a crime of opportunity, where the tourists were in a desolate spot while taking photographs of baboons when fate tragically intervened,” said Inspector Bruno.
Various stakeholders at last Wednesday’s meeting agreed that there should be no reason for overall fear among tourists. The meeting was attended by City of Windhoek councillors, the City Police, the Namibian Police, the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (NABTA), the Namibia Airports Authority and Tourism Representatives.
Meanwhile, in other crime incidents in the North, as stated in the latest Police Crime Bulletin, Namibia Breweries headquarters in Oshakati experienced a major blow last week Thursday when a suspect broke into the building between two and five o’clock in the morning and stole cheques totalling close to N$140 000, cash of over N$5 000 as well as two safe boxes.
“The suspect used an unknown object to break the burglar door to gain entry, and further cut the strong room open with a cutting torch, opened two safes inside the room and removed cash (N$5 550,45), cheques (N$139 936,96) and two safe boxes,” the report reads.
The two safe boxes were reportedly attached to the wall, and they contained documents.
The Namibian Police managed to recover the cheques and safe boxes in the veld at Okatana village, but nobody has been arrested so far as investigations continue.
Another housebreaking and theft incident was reported in the Omusati Region when items worth N$4 146,55 were stolen from a house in Onhokolo village in Ombalantu about two weeks ago.
At around 19h00 the suspect allegedly broke the door of the sleeping room and stole six suits, three pairs of trousers, one suitcase, seven T-shirts three containers of 500 millilitres of paint, two curtains and some other items – all valued at over N$4 000.
A murder case was also reported last Sunday at Onelago village in Onghumbula area after a 25-year-old man was allegedly stabbed with a knife on the left side of the chest.
In the Kunene Region, reports of two rapes of minors were also reported.