The three lawyers of the Dutch drug lord Ridouan Taghi have resigned from the defense. The main suspect in the extensive Marengo liquidation process is therefore once again without legal assistance. The lawyers believe that they are not given the space and time to put up a good defense, they said on Tuesday. “There’s no point in continuing. We cannot in good conscience assist our client because we cannot provide an adequate defense.”
Michael Ruperti, Arthur van der Biezen and Sjoerd van Berge Henegouwen announced last June that they would take over the defense from Inez Weski. She was forced to drop her defense after her arrest in April. She is suspected of participating in a criminal organization involved in international drug trafficking and money laundering, and of violating secrets. Weski is said to have shared information from Taghi from the Extra Secure Institution (EBI) in Vught with his contacts in the outside world. After a pre-trial detention of about a month and a half, she is now free again.
After the lawyers took over Weski’s defense, they asked for time to read up on the extensive trial, but they were not given it by the court. Partly for this reason, they believe that they are being thwarted by the court. “Incomprehensible,” said the lawyers. They believe that as a result they have been “following the facts from the start and cannot adequately defend Taghi”.
It is not clear how the case against Taghi (45) will proceed. He has indicated that he no longer wants a lawyer and that he will not accept any lawyer that may be assigned. The three will remain available to him for advice and advice regardless of the criminal case. Another hearing is scheduled for Thursday in the court bunker in Amsterdam-Osdorp.
Ridouan Taghi is the main suspect in the extensive Marengo liquidation trial, which revolves around multiple murders and murder attempts. A life sentence has been demanded against Taghi. The court wants to make a ruling on February 27 next year.
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