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Prosecutors bring charges against BVB bus bombing suspect

Chuck Penfold
August 29, 2017

German prosecutors have brought charges against a suspect in connection with the bombing attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus back in April. Defender Marc Batra and a police officer were injured in the attack.

Deutschland Explosionen an BVB-Bus
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kusch

The public prosecutor's office in Dortmund announced on Tuesday that it had brought charges against a 28-year-old suspect in the bombing of Borussia Dortmund's team bus on April 11. The suspect, who has previously been identified as Sergej W. is facing 28 counts of attempted murder by causing an explosion as well as two counts of causing grievous bodily harm.

According to the reports, published by the national broadsheet Süddeutsche Zeitung and the mass-circulation daily Bild earlier on Tuesday, prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to prove that the electrical technician from southwestern Germany was responsible for carrying out the attack Dortmund's bus as it left the team hotel for the Signal Iduna Park ahead of their Champions League match against AS Monaco.

Three explosive devices were set off just as the bus passed a hedge where they had been hidden, injuring a policeman who was escorting the bus on a motorcycle as well as Marc Batra. The Spanish defender required surgery to repair injuries sustained to his right arm and hand.

Police arrested the suspect 10 days after the attack and investigators said they believed he had carried it out "solely out of of financial interests." They said they had found evidence that Sergej W. had taken out a five-figure loan to allow him to speculate on BVB shares dropping sharply after he carried out the attack.
In the days after the incident, there had been much speculation that Islamist terrorists had carried out the attack.

This was supported by there letters claiming responsibility for the bombing, which investigators now believe were written by Sergej W. in a bid to deflect any suspicion from himself. 

Through his lawyer, Sergej W. has denied being behind the attack.

 

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