The outrageous murder of Werner Haas - vice-president of Diamant-Club Wien, in Vienna, which occurred on Thursday, September 27, has left the industry speechless. Haas, 46, was shot while at work in his office attached to his home, apparently during the course of a robbery. Both a diamantaire and jeweller, he served both as vice president of his bourse and as its spokesman. %% Ernest Blom, the president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses said that “This is a senseless and outrageous tragedy. Nothing that we do or handle could ever justify such as an act, and we hope that the Austrian police authorities will be able to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. Our hearts go out to Werner’s family and to his colleagues and friends at the Diamant-Club Wien.”