Second suspected tourist killer in court

THE second suspect to be arrested in connection with the killing of a German tourist during an alleged roadside robbery west of Windhoek in early July made a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Paulus Kamati (25) remains in custody after his appearance before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs on charges of murder, robbery and kidnapping. He is scheduled to make a second appearance in court on December 6, when the first suspect to be arrested in the case, former Namibian Police member Fanuel Festus Shipanga (37), is also set to return to court.Kamati went to great lengths yesterday in an effort to hide his face from newspaper photographers and television cameramen at court – trying to hold a hand in front of his face, pulling his shirt over his head, and walking bent over far forward when his hands were cuffed behind his back after his appearance in court was over.Shipanga was arrested at Ondangwa on August 3.Police officers arrested Kamati in Windhoek on Friday last week.The two men are accused of having been involved in an attack that turned the Namibian visit of two German tourists, Elke and Johannes Fellinger, into a nightmare within hours after the couple had arrived in the country.The couple is alleged to have been attacked at the Francois Feste ruins in the Khomas Hochland some 60 kilometres west of Windhoek on July 8.They had stopped at the site of the ruins of the historical stone building a few hours after they had arrived in Namibia on holiday.It has been reported that Mr Fellinger (56), who was a professional photographer, was away from the bakkie he and his wife had rented on their arrival in Namibia when two armed men approached his wife.For the Fellingers, their Sunday was about to take a shocking turn.Mr Fellinger tried to come to his wife’s help when he was shot in the head.The attackers then loaded his body into the vehicle and drove off with Mrs Fellinger.The body was later loaded off again in a dry river bed on a nearby farm before the men, still with the captive Mrs Fellinger with them in the bakkie, continued on their way.When a local part-time farmer who saw the unknown vehicle driving around on his farm became suspicious about the vehicle’s presence on his land, he set off in pursuit of the bakkie.During an ensuing chase, the bakkie overturned.The two attackers – at least one of them was suspected to have been injured in the accident – fled from the scene, leaving Mrs Fellinger behind.Police officers later attempted to follow the alleged robbers’ tracks from the scene, but did not manage to track the suspects down in the area.The case against Kamati and Shipanga has been postponed for further investigations to be done.Magistrate Jacobs also informed Kamati of his rights to legal representation yesterday.Kamati indicated that he wanted to apply to the Legal Aid Directorate to be provided with a lawyer.He is scheduled to make a second appearance in court on December 6, when the first suspect to be arrested in the case, former Namibian Police member Fanuel Festus Shipanga (37), is also set to return to court.Kamati went to great lengths yesterday in an effort to hide his face from newspaper photographers and television cameramen at court – trying to hold a hand in front of his face, pulling his shirt over his head, and walking bent over far forward when his hands were cuffed behind his back after his appearance in court was over.Shipanga was arrested at Ondangwa on August 3.Police officers arrested Kamati in Windhoek on Friday last week.The two men are accused of having been involved in an attack that turned the Namibian visit of two German tourists, Elke and Johannes Fellinger, into a nightmare within hours after the couple had arrived in the country.The couple is alleged to have been attacked at the Francois Feste ruins in the Khomas Hochland some 60 kilometres west of Windhoek on July 8.They had stopped at the site of the ruins of the historical stone building a few hours after they had arrived in Namibia on holiday.It has been reported that Mr Fellinger (56), who was a professional photographer, was away from the bakkie he and his wife had rented on their arrival in Namibia when two armed men approached his wife.For the Fellingers, their Sunday was about to take a shocking turn.Mr Fellinger tried to come to his wife’s help when he was shot in the head.The attackers then loaded his body into the vehicle and drove off with Mrs Fellinger.The body was later loaded off again in a dry river bed on a nearby farm before the men, still with the captive Mrs Fellinger with them in the bakkie, continued on their way.When a local part-time farmer who saw the unknown vehicle driving around on his farm became suspicious about the vehicle’s presence on his land, he set off in pursuit of the bakkie.During an ensuing chase, the bakkie overturned.The two attackers – at least one of them was suspected to have been injured in the accident – fled from the scene, leaving Mrs Fellinger behind.Police officers later attempted to follow the alleged robbers’ tracks from the scene, but did not manage to track the suspects down in the area.The case against Kamati and Shipanga has been postponed for further investigations to be done.Magistrate Jacobs also informed Kamati of his rights to legal representation yesterday.Kamati indicated that he wanted to apply to the Legal Aid Directorate to be provided with a lawyer.