Ridouan Taghi is already in the new session room in Vught when he becomes visible on the scenes of the court at Schiphol. There are a number of lawyers and journalists because the capacity of the room in Vught is limited.
The new room saves the government a lot of money. Fewer people need to be used for special transport of suspects from the extra secure establishment (EBI) to the session room at Schiphol. And it would also be less stressful for the prisoners for whom special transport is no fun.
At the end of the session, the chairman of the Amsterdam Court therefore asks what Taghi thinks of the new situation. “I already thought you would ask about it,” says the verbally skilled taghi. “How would you find it if you handle naked twice and be checked six times in the rectum?”
I don’t need lawyers who want to name my back
It is a striking end of a session that revolved around the legal aid of the most discussed criminal in the country. Everything about this case is different. This applies to the way in which Taghi is trapped but also to his legal aid.
Without a lawyer
Ridouan Taghi has been around for the third time since the now seven -year criminal case without a lawyer. In the spring of 2023, during the final phase of his trial at first instance, lawyer Inez Weski was arrested on suspicion of membership of the criminal organization of Taghi. Her criminal case is still ongoing.
Last summer, her three successors gave up during the appeal, why exactly is unclear. And the lawyers who have taken on the defense of Taghi after a long search are also rid of the case.
That happened after the main lawyer Vito Shukrula was also arrested at the beginning of April this year on suspicion of membership of the criminal organization of Taghi. An accusation that emphatically denies the suspect. “I have virtually no one talking for four years and then I would ask Shukrula for drug trafficking and money laundering?”
According to Taghi, that is “a ridiculous accusation.” A claim that he emphasizes with, again, a rhetorical question – for this time. “I wonder what the consequences are if it turns out that he has been continued incorrectly.”
Six law firms polled
The chairman of the Court now wants to know how to continue with the appeal in the Marengo criminal case. Because in the eyes of the Court, a suspect who was convicted of life imprisonment is not without good legal aid in the eyes of the Court.
The longer Taghi is without a lawyer, the greater the delay. And that in turn can have consequences for the other sixteen suspects in this criminal case. For example, the punishment of crown witness Nabil B. is on it after the summer.
Taghi himself also wants “lawyer assistance,” he told the court. But then from a lawyer who has experience with these kinds of affairs. “I don’t need lawyers who want to name my back.” He also approached lawyers himself, but that has yielded nothing.
“I informed six law firms for legal aid,” said Taghi. “In a case I have tried four times to get in touch with a lawyer. Even after a recovery request, that person does not want to talk to me.”
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That state of affairs frustrates Taghi, who takes the word “moral knights” when he speaks about the national criminal lawyer. “You can read on most of the lawyers’ websites that every prisoner deserves legal aid, but as soon as my situation is discussed, it is apparently not the case.”
Taghi does not expect much from the dean of the Bar Association, the supervisor of the legal profession. After his previous lawyers returned the case in the mid -last year, the blanket came up with two names.
According to Taghi Advocaten, those who had reported to the Order and mainly had experience in the field of financial-economic criminal law. “Something different than my case,” said Taghi. Marengo revolves around six liquidations and a series of attempts for this.
He said he was willing to stick his neck out
After conversations with the two suggested lawyers and Vito Shukrula, he finally chose the latter. “He said he was willing to stick out his neck,” said Taghi.
Threatening letter of the blanket
Taghi said about that choice afterwards ‘a threatening letter’ from the dean. In it, according to Taghi, she reported that he did not have to count on any cooperation of the order if he were to work with lawyers other than the two suggested by the dean. That did not go well with Taghi: “The blanket is clearly not good for me.”
The Public Prosecution Service reported that in connection with the situation of Taghi, contact was made with the Legal Aid Council, a government body that deals with the allocation of lawyers and the compensation they receive for it. “We haven’t heard anything else.”
The chairman of the Court points out the legal duty of the OM to take care of legal aid. And then he addresses Taghi: “We hope that there will be new lawyers at the next session in September.”
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