From BZ/dpa
A trial for conspiring to commit murder has begun against two Berliners.
The 24 and 40-year-olds are said to have laid in wait, armed, to kill a man on behalf of a drug dealer. According to the indictment, the action was finally called off as too risky. At the beginning of the trial on Monday, one of the defense attorneys stated before the Berlin district court that a legal resignation from an agreement had taken place. It is therefore non-criminal behavior.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the accused and other men should act on behalf of a drug dealer who felt cheated of 650,000 euros because of a failed drug deal. In April 2020, agreements were made via the Encrochat messenger service. The 24-year-old said that “four weapons – preferably with a silencer” would be needed.
According to the indictment, a drug deal near Halle (Saale) was to be arranged with the “target person” in order to lure the man into a trap. However, he did not appear alone. According to the prosecution, carrying out the crime “appeared to be no longer feasible”.
The accused are said to have been involved in drug deals via Encrochat themselves. The 24-year-old was sentenced to eleven years in prison last May. This penalty is not yet final. The 40-year-old is serving a sentence of six years and two months.
The 24-year-old explained through his defense attorney that he wanted to lead the life of a gangster at the time. Much was “talk”. That the man should be shot was an option. The decision rested with the client. A beating was also considered. After a few days, the thoughts of killing were over.
Encrochat’s encryption software was initially considered undecipherable and was therefore very popular with criminals. However, the police in France and the Netherlands managed to crack the software in spring 2020. Millions of secret data were siphoned off at that time. This led to numerous arrests across Europe. The trial will resume on December 15th.