Ex-managing director confesses - "Prosecution correct in my view"
The break-in causes a stir. A year ago, thieves almost cleaned out a vault in Berlin. The loot amounted to 49 million euros. The head of the facility operator testifies at the trial. He is also a key witness. He is said to have owed millions to two other defendants.
After the burglary of a vault in Berlin with a haul of around 49 million euros, one of the five defendants has confessed. The then managing director of the company that operated the vault explained to the Berlin district court that he took part in the crime "out of chaos". He deeply regrets it, said the 52-year-old. "From my point of view, the points in the indictment are all correct," explained the man, who is considered a key witness in the trial.
The men, aged between 26 and 52, are accused of joint theft in a particularly serious case and arson. During the spectacular crime on November 19 last year, 295 lockers were broken into and luxury watches, cash, precious metals and securities were stolen, according to the indictment. The perpetrators then set fire to the lockers. The loot has disappeared to this day. The public prosecutor attributes four of the accused to the clan milieu.
After his arrest, the ex-managing director testified extensively to the police and is now under special protection. He is said to have participated in the crime due to alleged debts of 1.3 million euros to two of the defendants from previous money laundering transactions. He handed over access codes and replaced the previous security service with a security service provided by the alleged accomplices.
The 52-year-old went on to say that a 42-year-old defendant had brought up the locker system about two months before the break-in. "It was a clear hint to solve my problems with repayment." However, the 42-year-old, who had already offered him the money laundering business in May 2022, had "never threatened" him. According to the 52-year-old, he himself was "overwhelmed" and hoped to be able to settle his debts by committing the crime. When he saw the damage, he was shocked. The trial will continue on November 16.
In light of the international notoriety of the vault theft case in Berlin, it's crucial for international crime processes to collaborate and share information to prevent similar incidents in the future. Despite the confession of the ex-managing director, the whereabouts of the 49 million euros in loot remain unknown, posing a challenge in the ongoing recovery processes.
Source: www.ntv.de
