Tourist murder, robbery case postponed

THE two men accused of murdering a German visitor to Namibia during an alleged armed robbery at historical ruins in the Khomas Hochland almost five months ago made their first joint court appearance yesterday.

With their appearance before Magistrate Rina Horn in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, the case against former Namibian Police member Festus Fanuel Shipanga (37) and his co-accused, Paulus Kamati (26), was postponed again for further investigations. Shipanga and Kamati, who are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping, have to reappear in court on March 3, Magistrate Horn informed them.After telling the two men that they were facing “very, very serious” charges, she also informed them of their rights to legal representation, before postponing the case and ordering that the two suspects are to remain in custody.Shipanga and Kamati are accused of having attacked a German couple, Elke and Johannes Fellinger, at the Francois Feste ruins in the Khomas Hochland some 60 kilometres west of Windhoek on July 8.In the attack, Mr Fellinger (56), who was a professional photographer, was killed when he was shot in the head.The attackers then loaded his body into the rental vehicle in which the couple was travelling and set off with the captive Mrs Fellinger still with them in the vehicle.They continued to flee on foot after they had overturned the vehicle on a gravel road that they were using to get away from the scene of the killing.By the time the vehicle overturned, the attackers had already again loaded off Mr Fellinger’s body in a dry riverbed.They still had Mrs Fellinger with them in the vehicle when it overturned.Shipanga was arrested at Ondangwa on August 3.Police officers arrested Kamati in Windhoek on September 14.Shipanga and Kamati, who are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping, have to reappear in court on March 3, Magistrate Horn informed them.After telling the two men that they were facing “very, very serious” charges, she also informed them of their rights to legal representation, before postponing the case and ordering that the two suspects are to remain in custody.Shipanga and Kamati are accused of having attacked a German couple, Elke and Johannes Fellinger, at the Francois Feste ruins in the Khomas Hochland some 60 kilometres west of Windhoek on July 8.In the attack, Mr Fellinger (56), who was a professional photographer, was killed when he was shot in the head.The attackers then loaded his body into the rental vehicle in which the couple was travelling and set off with the captive Mrs Fellinger still with them in the vehicle.They continued to flee on foot after they had overturned the vehicle on a gravel road that they were using to get away from the scene of the killing.By the time the vehicle overturned, the attackers had already again loaded off Mr Fellinger’s body in a dry riverbed.They still had Mrs Fellinger with them in the vehicle when it overturned.Shipanga was arrested at Ondangwa on August 3.Police officers arrested Kamati in Windhoek on September 14.