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Monday, June 23, 2008 - Web posted at 7:40:54 GMT Newspaperman murdered at coast Werner MengesWELL-KNOWN Walvis Bay resident Awie Brand, who was a long-time reporter and editor of the coastal newspaper, Namib Times, was murdered at his restaurant at the harbour town on Friday evening. |
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The 58-year-old Brand was found dead early on Saturday morning in 'Die Restaurant' on Walvis Bay's 10th Road. He had been running the restaurant since leaving the Namib Times after more than 30 years of service with the newspaper. According to the Namibian Police's Regional Commander in the Erongo Region, Deputy Commissioner Festus Shilongo, there were no signs of forced entry into the premises, and Police do not suspect that Brand was killed in the course of a robbery. Shilongo did not want to confirm how Brand had died, since this information, he said, might jeopardise the ongoing investigation. He said, though, that it did not appear that firearms or knives were used in the killing. Shilongo added that the attacker may have been known to Brand. A car belonging to the victim was missing from the premises when he was found dead. Shilongo said the Police found Brand's body around 06h30 on Saturday. The vehicle was recovered in Windhoek later on Saturday, Shilongo added. By yesterday afternoon, no one had been arrested in connection with the murder, but investigators were still following up leads that Shilongo said could result in an arrest later yesterday or by today. According to another source, Brand's body was found in a storeroom at the restaurant, and it appeared that he had been dragged there from inside the restaurant. His watch and a ring he used to wear were found lying near a fireplace where Brand used to sit inside the 'Die Restaurant'. Brand worked with the Namib Times for some 33 years, and he and the newspaper's former publisher and editor, the late Paul Vincent, for many years produced the paper as a two-man team, his daughter, Jeanine Brand, told The Namibian yesterday. She said her father started the restaurant after leaving the newspaper. He had been working late on Friday evening, she said. As a veteran newspaperman, Brand was well-known in the coastal community, where his death was greeted with shock. "Everybody loved him", said one community member yesterday, calling Brand "just such a decent human being". "He did a lot for society." Strings of cars were seen driving past the restaurant on Saturday, with people stopping to look at the scene, which was under guard. Flowers had been laid at the eatery's entrance. Brand is survived by his wife, Myrna, and his daughter. Additional reporting from Adam Hartman, Swakopmund. |
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