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CRIME

Bank robber jailed for heist 20 years ago

A bank robber has been convicted for his role in what has been described as one of Germany's most brutal heists, when armed men killed a security guard during a raid on a money transport and escaped with millions.

Bank robber jailed for heist 20 years ago
The man covered his face with a hat in court. Photo: DPA

The now 61-year-old man admitted taking part in the 1992 robbery, during which one of the two security guards was shot in the neck and head and died on the way to hospital.

Prosecutor Anette Bargenda described the robbery as one of Germany’s most brutal. The gang hit a money transporter as it was delivering millions to a savings bank in Bernau, just outside Berlin. The robbers escaped with 3.5 million Deutschmarks – around €1.8 million – and were never found.

Even now many questions remain unanswered, despite the convicted man’s confession of having been involved, prosecutors said, admitting they still had no idea how many other people were involved, nor who gave them the crucial information about the cash delivery.

Investigators could not prove that the man, who was not identified, was the one who shot the security guard, nor that those concerned had planned to shoot anyone fatally. This prevented charges of murder being pressed against him. But his DNA was found at the crime scene.

He admitted his involvement in return for a deal with the district court in Frankfurt an der Oder, that his total jail sentence not exceed 15 years. He was already serving a 13 year, six month jail sentence for a 2003 robbery and will now see that extended to a total of 15 years.

The man had only been out of prison for a few months having served a 15-year sentence for other robberies, when he became involved in the Bernau heist.

But the deal did not require the man to name anyone else involved or give any information about what happened to the stolen money, though it is thought much was moved to Austria.

DPA/DAPD/The Local/hc

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BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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