Crime - Thomas Drach expects "crystal-clear acquittal"
In the trial for several cash-in-transit robberies, the accused Thomas Drach has denied all guilt. "I expect a crystal-clear acquittal," said the Reemtsma kidnapper in his "last word" in Cologne district court. "If I am convicted, I will immediately file charges with an independent public prosecutor's office."
After the "last word", the judge interrupted the hearing for the time being. It is possible that the chamber will pass sentence today.
Attempted murder and spectacular robberies
According to the indictment, the German is alleged to have committed four spectacular robberies of cash transporters in Cologne, Frankfurt am Main and Limburg in Hesse in 2018 and 2019. The 63-year-old is also charged with attempted murder: In two of the crimes, he is alleged to have shot at cash carriers, and the two men suffered serious injuries. Drach denies all charges.
The public prosecutor's office has demanded a prison sentence of 15 years for Drach, followed by preventive detention. This would mean that he would be transferred to a secure detention center after serving his sentence, where he would remain behind bars. In her plea, the public prosecutor considered it "proven beyond doubt" that Drach committed three of the accused robberies and stole almost 142,000 euros. Only the crime in Limburg could not be proven.
The defense lawyers requested acquittal for their client. Drach had not been recognized at any of the crime scenes or identified by witnesses.
Reemtsma kidnapping in 1996
In 1996, Drach kidnapped the heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma, Jan Philipp Reemtsma, and released him after 33 days - for a ransom of 15 million German marks and 12.5 million Swiss francs. He was sentenced to fourteen and a half years in prison for the crime.
The trial against probably Germany's best-known serious criminal has been running for almost two years under high security precautions. The court building is cordoned off on every day of the trial. Drach is usually flown in by helicopter from Cologne prison.
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Source: www.stern.de
