Prints point to farm murder suspects

FINGERPRINTS belonging to two men accused of murdering a farmer in the Dordabis area almost five and a half years ago were found at scenes connected to the killing, according to testimony heard in the Windhoek Regional Court last week.

A fingerprint matching the right thumb print of murder and robbery suspect Moses Uirab was found on a beer bottle in a Toyota bakkie parked near the farmhouse of the murdered Helmut Rohe, Warrant Officer Shikufa, who is attached to the Namibian Police’s Scene of Crime Unit, told Magistrate Sarel Jacobs when he testified in the trial of Uirab and a co-accused on Wednesday last week. Shikufa added that he also lifted a fingerprint that he later matched with the print of the right ring finger of Uirab’s co-accused, Bartholomeus Immanuel, from a Coca-Cola bottle that he found in a Volkswagen Kombi that belonged to Rohe and that was discovered on September 22 2002 where it was parked next to the road between Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport.Uirab and Immanuel pleaded not guilty to counts of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances when their trial started before Magistrate Jacobs near the end of October last year.They are accused of murdering Rohe in the period from September 21 to 22 2002, and of robbing items valued at N$15 000 – made up of clothing, bedding, a cellphone, a music system, food and a camera – from Rohe at his farm, Omukaru, some 70 kilometres southeast of Dordabis.Rohe was found dead at his farm on September 22 2002, after the discovery of his Kombi next to the B6 road east of Windhoek raised suspicions that something might be amiss at his farm.Blood-smeared stones that were found next to his body where he lay near a livestock kraal close to his farmhouse suggested that he had been killed when the stones were smashed against his head.Rohe would have turned 58 years of age on the day after he was discovered killed.A year and almost ten months passed after Rohe’s death before Uirab and Immanuel were arrested.Also testifying in the two men’s trial on Thursday, one of the Police officers who was involved in the investigation of the case, Detective Inspector Michael Booysen, told the Magistrate that information that he received from a Police informer led him first to Uirab, who was at that stage locked up in Windhoek Central Prison, on July 12 2004.He took Uirab to his office, where he told him that he had information linking Uirab to the killing of Rohe, Booysen said.”Oh, is it the husband of this old German lady?” Uirab replied, according to Booysen.Rohe’s widow, Evelin Rohe, told Magistrate Jacobs at the end of October last year that two men who had been looking for employment had left Windhoek with her husband to his farm on September 11 2002.One of them, who was called Moses, had previously done gardening work for her, she said.When her husband was found dead at the farm, the two recently employed workers were nowhere to be found at the farm.Booysen testified that after he had warned Uirab of his constitutional rights, Uirab told him that he had first been working for Rohe’s wife at her house in Windhoek, and that she then asked him if he knew of anyone who might want to work for her husband at the farm.She also told him that her husband was dangerous and might kill them, Booysen said he was told by Uirab.He continued that Uirab then said he and Immanuel went with Rohe to the farm.After a week at the farm they killed Rohe by throwing stones against his head, Booysen said he was also told by Uirab.Booysen said he questioned Immanuel the next day.Immanuel said he had gone with Uirab and Rohe to the farm, and that they killed Rohe after a week at the farm.Both suspects told him that the reason for the killing was that Rohe had been treating them very badly, Booysen told the Magistrate.Booysen is supposed to continue with his testimony when the trial is scheduled to continue on May 15.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab is conducting the prosecution.Defence lawyers Ivo dos Santos and Vincent Olivier are appearing for Uirab and Immanuel respectively.Both accused men remain in custody.Shikufa added that he also lifted a fingerprint that he later matched with the print of the right ring finger of Uirab’s co-accused, Bartholomeus Immanuel, from a Coca-Cola bottle that he found in a Volkswagen Kombi that belonged to Rohe and that was discovered on September 22 2002 where it was parked next to the road between Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport.Uirab and Immanuel pleaded not guilty to counts of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances when their trial started before Magistrate Jacobs near the end of October last year.They are accused of murdering Rohe in the period from September 21 to 22 2002, and of robbing items valued at N$15 000 – made up of clothing, bedding, a cellphone, a music system, food and a camera – from Rohe at his farm, Omukaru, some 70 kilometres southeast of Dordabis.Rohe was found dead at his farm on September 22 2002, after the discovery of his Kombi next to the B6 road east of Windhoek raised suspicions that something might be amiss at his farm.Blood-smeared stones that were found next to his body where he lay near a livestock kraal close to his farmhouse suggested that he had been killed when the stones were smashed against his head.Rohe would have turned 58 years of age on the day after he was discovered killed.A year and almost ten months passed after Rohe’s death before Uirab and Immanuel were arrested.Also testifying in the two men’s trial on Thursday, one of the Police officers who was involved in the investigation of the case, Detective Inspector Michael Booysen, told the Magistrate that information that he received from a Police informer led him first to Uirab, who was at that stage locked up in Windhoek Central Prison, on July 12 2004.He took Uirab to his office, where he told him that he had information linking Uirab to the killing of Rohe, Booysen said.”Oh, is it the husband of this old German lady?” Uirab replied, according to Booysen.Rohe’s widow, Evelin Rohe, told Magistrate Jacobs at the end of October last year that two men who had been looking for employment had left Windhoek with her husband to his farm on September 11 2002.One of them, who was called Moses, had previously done gardening work for her, she said.When her husband was found dead at the farm, the two recently employed workers were nowhere to be found at the farm.Booysen testified that after he had warned Uirab of his constitutional rights, Uirab told him that he had first been working for Rohe’s wife at her house in Windhoek, and that she then asked him if he knew of anyone who might want to work for her husband at the farm.She also told him that her husband was dangerous and might kill them, Booysen said he was told by Uirab.He continued that Uirab then said he and Immanuel went with Rohe to the farm.After a week at the farm they killed Rohe by throwing stones against his head, Booysen said he was also told by Uirab.Booysen said he questioned Immanuel the next day.Immanuel said he had gone with Uirab and Rohe to the farm, and that they killed Rohe after a week at the farm.Both suspects told him that the reason for the killing was that Rohe had been treating them very badly, Booysen told the Magistrate.Booysen is supposed to continue with his testimony when the trial is scheduled to continue on May 15.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab is conducting the prosecution.Defence lawyers Ivo dos Santos and Vincent Olivier are appearing for Uirab and Immanuel respectively.Both accused men remain in custody.