Cologne: Thomas Drach with process
Cologne. The trial against the classic Reemtsma kidnapper Thomas Drach started on Tuesday morning at the Cologne district court. The highest security precautions have been taken for the 53 planned days of negotiations until the end of September.
“On these days, the area of the Luxemburger Strasse justice center should be largely bypassed during normal business hours because unhindered passage cannot be guaranteed,” the court warned in a statement before the start of the process. As several local media reports, there were road closures on Tuesday morning.
Drach was pulled into the courthouse in a procession of three black cars with blue lights flashing around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday morning. Heavily armed police officers secure the district court. According to the Cologne native “To express” the officers carried machine guns with them. He was originally supposed to be flown in by helicopter, but the police rescheduled again because of a “risk of escape and liberation”. “Cologne City Gazette” writes. According to the report, there was concern among investigators that Drach might have hired accomplices to try to free him.
Drach is led into the courtroom
to die “Image”-Zeitung reports that Drach’s clothes were searched and X-rayed on each day of the trial in the Cologne prison. His hands and feet were bound and he was led into the courtroom blindfolded. The newspaper also reports that manhole covers around the building have been welded shut.
The highest safety precautions apply not only to Drach, but also to spectators and journalists. According to a court spokesman, there will be complex access controls. Trial attendees will see two security checks instead of the usual one before being allowed into the courtroom.
Process start delayed due to safety precautions and headaches
The trial was originally scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m. Due to the high level of safety precautions, however, the start is delayed by an hour and a half. The trial started at 10:45 a.m. But it wasn’t three minutes before he was interrupted again. Drach’s alleged accomplice said he had a headache and wanted to take a pill. After a short break it should continue.
Dragon denies the allegations
Thomas Drach is accused of four robberies on money transporters. A total of 75 witnesses are to be heard over the 53 days of the hearing. The verdict is scheduled for September 29th.
In the raids in 2018 and 2019 in Cologne, Frankfurt am Main and Limburg, Drach and a co-defendant are said to have stolen more than 230,000 euros. In two of the crimes, Drach is said to have shot a security guard – the two men experienced serious discoveries. Dragon denies the allegations.
In 1996 he kidnapped the heir to the Hamburg tobacco dynasty Reemtsma, Jan Philipp Reemtsma, and later released him for ransom.