Trial of four suspects in Etihad Bank robbery to start today

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday is scheduled to begin the trial of four suspects, including one woman and her two brothers, for their involvement in an armed robbery at Bank Al Etihad. 

In a public hearing, the SSC jury will read the indictment list and question suspects, who were arrested in January pending investigation, on the charges they face, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The court charged the suspects of forming a gang with the intention of stealing money, conducting activities that may endanger the safety of society, disturbing public order, spreading fear among citizens, jeopardising economic resources, theft under the threat of weapons and collaboration for robbery.  

According to the list, three of the suspects are siblings, while the fourth is a friend who shared the desire to gain money illicitly, leading them to form the gang to rob banks in Amman.

The first suspect headed to the Abdoun branch of Al Etihad Bank and examined the building, before plotting the robbery, for which he obtained a pistol.

On January 22, he was driven to the bank by the second suspect, who waited for him inside the vehicle. The suspect entered the bank at 10:55am and used the pistol to threaten the employees, spreading fear among the clients and employees and endangering their lives. 

The charge list noted that the suspect managed to collect JD95,663 before leaving the scene. 

The duo drove home to Amman's Dahiet Al Yasmeen, while the two other suspects went to the woman's house in Marj Al Hamam to hide the money. 

On the day of the robbery, Criminal Investigation Department personnel managed to arrest the first suspect at his house, where various amounts of money were found.

Another suspect was also arrested and found with JD77,570 in her kitchen.

The other two suspects were later arrested and the gun seized, according to Petra, which added that the first suspect confessed to committing the crime upon investigation.