Man jailed for 8 years for forming gang to rob businesses

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation upheld a January State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of forming a gang to rob businesses in Madaba in early 2018.

The court declared the defendant guilty of forming a gang to rob establishments in Madaba city in February and handed him a 10-year prison term.

However, the SSC decided to reduce the sentence to eight years in prison “to give the defendant a second chance in life”.

Court papers said the defendant, along with three others who did not appeal their verdicts, decided to make “quick cash” by robbing businesses in Madaba.

The defendant bought a vehicle and altered its plate numbers and proceeded to rob businesses in Madaba, according to court documents.

“The defendants robbed two establishments at night by breaking their locks and escaped with JD1,000 and other goods,” court papers said.

One of the defendants was arrested a month later by police and confessed to “being part of a gang that targeted business establishments in Madaba”, court documents maintained.

The defendant, through his lawyer, contested the court’s ruling arguing that “the prosecution failed to provide solid evidence in the case”.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and the defendant deserved the verdict they had received.

“The defendants’ actions caused panic and confusion among the public and they lived in fear for a while because of the reported robberies in their neighbourhoods,” the higher court stated.

Therefore, the high court maintained, the defendant who appealed his verdict deserved the eight-year prison term.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi and Mohammad Khashashneh.