Foreign national jailed for robbery

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld an Amman Court of Appeal’s ruling, sentencing a foreign national of a south Asian nationality to two years in prison after convicting him of robbing a house of large amounts of cash and jewellery in Amman in June 2020. 

The Amman Court of Appeal declared the defendant guilty of robbing the house in collaboration with the guard, who is also a foreign national of south Asian nationality, on June 15 and handed him the maximum punishment.

The guard who was also sentenced to two years in prison did not appeal his verdict.

Court papers said that the defendant and the guard decided to break into the safe in the house in the Marj Hamam neighbourhood knowing that the employer kept large amounts of cash and jewellery there.

“The two brought a metal cutter and got hold of $40,000, JD5,000 and other amounts of foreign currency as well as jewellery and other official papers,” the court stated.

They stashed the stolen goods in a bag and the “guard asked the defendant to tie him up so that he can claim that unknown individuals robed the house”, according to court papers.

The defendant left the house with the bag that was filled with cash and other valuable items, the court added.

When the employer returned home to his house, the court maintained, he saw the guard tied up and immediately alerted the authorities.

When investigators combed the scene, the court continued, they “found money, expensive watches and other goods that belonged to his employer hidden in guard's clothes”.

The guard informed the police about the defendant and he was arrested at his home and the bag was retrieved, the court added.

The defendant contested the Amman Court of Appeal’s ruling arguing that the “prosecution failed to provide solid evidence to convict him with the charges”.

Meanwhile, the Amman Court of Appeal’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling. 

The higher court ruled that the Amman Court of Appeal’s proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment. 

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Hammad Ghzawi, Nayef Samarat and Qassem Dughmi.