process - Penalties for suspected ATM bombers demanded
In the trial against a suspected gang of ATM bombers, the prosecution and defense have spoken out for prison sentences. According to a spokesperson for the Bamberg Regional Court, the defenders in their pleas each referred to the lower and the prosecution to the upper frame of the previously agreed sentencing range. Therefore, the sentence for all defendants ranges from seven years and two months to one year and nine months in prison as the minimum sentence.
The court had previously reached a plea bargain with 14 of the 16 defendants. They spoke extensively about the charges, in return, the court, in consultation with prosecution and defense, set a sentencing range.
One defendant had already surrendered earlier. For him, there was no formal "deal". In the case of another defendant who initially made no statements, the proceedings were separated. The judgments in the trial against the 15 defendants are to be announced on this Wednesday (13.00 hours).
The prosecution accuses the men from the Netherlands and Belgium of exploding ATMs all over Germany, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to obtain cash. Their loot is said to amount to more than 3.3 million Euros, the damage caused by the explosions more than 5.5 million Euros. As investigators also attribute cases in Zapfendorf and Forchheim in Upper Franconia to the defendants, the case came before the Bamberg court.
The trial is being held in a sports hall on the Bundespolice training ground in Bamberg due to the large number of participants, the separate proceedings in the rooms of the Regional Court. An end to this trial is not yet foreseeable.
- The ATM bombings, primarily in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, also extended to Zapfendorf and Forchheim in Upper Franconia, Germany, which is under the jurisdiction of the Bamberg Public Prosecutor's Office.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Bamberg worked closely with their counterparts in the Netherlands and Belgium during the investigation into the ATM bombings.
- Despite surrendering earlier, the defendant from Bavaria still faces a penalty in this case, as the plea bargain did not apply to him.
- The Criminality committed by the defendants not only affected Germany but also impacted the financial institutions in the Netherlands, highlighting the international scope of the case.
- The ATM in Baden-Württemberg, just like those in Bavaria and Upper Franconia, became target for the illegal activities, leading to a significant financial loss and damage.
