Petrol attendant recognised suspect
In the murder trial of Ernst Lichtenstrasser, which resumed in the High Court in Windhoek on Thursday, an investigating officer of the Namibian police (Nampol), Sakaria Simon, was the first witness.
Simon was called by one of his principals at 06:00 on 15 April 2019 to report to the NIMT campus in Arandis as soon as possible. He was responsible for cordoning off the crime scene. He testified before Judge Christie Liebenberg that he found eight cartridge casings at the scene. He also noticed two shoe prints in sand next to the main campus building. He conveyed his findings to his superiors, but did not follow up on whether photos of the shoe prints were taken.
A petrol attendant, Laurentius Katambo, testified next. Katambo was partly responsible for Lichtenstrasser's arrest the day after the double murder.
Katambo testified that he saw Lichtenstrasser the day after the murder at the petrol station in Karibib. Lichtenstrasser greeted him in Afrikaans and asked him if he could use his cellphone, he testified.
According to Katambo's testimony, he bought N$5 airtime for his cellphone and gave it to Lichtenstrasser. He apparently promised to repay the money to Katambo. Lichtenstrasser allegedly called his wife and asked her to send him money.
Katambo described Lichtenstrasser's white Nissan bakkie and testified that Lichtenstrasser first parked behind the service station and after the call to his wife, he parked his vehicle next to a petrol pump, but did not fill the tank. Shortly afterwards, he apparently went to the ATM at the petrol station.
Katambo, meanwhile, read a WhatsApp message on his cellphone with a photo of Lichtenstrasser stating that he was wanted by the police in connection with a murder. Katambo met a friend at the service station who also saw the message. He told him to hurry to the police and report Lichtenstrasser.
Three Nampol police officers arrived and searched Lichtenstrasser, handcuffed him and took him to the Karibib police station.
The trial continues.
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Simon was called by one of his principals at 06:00 on 15 April 2019 to report to the NIMT campus in Arandis as soon as possible. He was responsible for cordoning off the crime scene. He testified before Judge Christie Liebenberg that he found eight cartridge casings at the scene. He also noticed two shoe prints in sand next to the main campus building. He conveyed his findings to his superiors, but did not follow up on whether photos of the shoe prints were taken.
A petrol attendant, Laurentius Katambo, testified next. Katambo was partly responsible for Lichtenstrasser's arrest the day after the double murder.
Katambo testified that he saw Lichtenstrasser the day after the murder at the petrol station in Karibib. Lichtenstrasser greeted him in Afrikaans and asked him if he could use his cellphone, he testified.
According to Katambo's testimony, he bought N$5 airtime for his cellphone and gave it to Lichtenstrasser. He apparently promised to repay the money to Katambo. Lichtenstrasser allegedly called his wife and asked her to send him money.
Katambo described Lichtenstrasser's white Nissan bakkie and testified that Lichtenstrasser first parked behind the service station and after the call to his wife, he parked his vehicle next to a petrol pump, but did not fill the tank. Shortly afterwards, he apparently went to the ATM at the petrol station.
Katambo, meanwhile, read a WhatsApp message on his cellphone with a photo of Lichtenstrasser stating that he was wanted by the police in connection with a murder. Katambo met a friend at the service station who also saw the message. He told him to hurry to the police and report Lichtenstrasser.
Three Nampol police officers arrived and searched Lichtenstrasser, handcuffed him and took him to the Karibib police station.
The trial continues.
- [email protected]
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