The court in Amsterdam will again hold a preliminary hearing on Tuesday in the criminal case against Youssef T., cousin and former lawyer of Ridouan Taghi, the main suspect in the extensive Marengo liquidation process. The Public Prosecution Service suspects 39-year-old T., among other things, that he would have helped Taghi in plotting a violent outbreak from the Extra Secure Institution (EBI) in Vught.
Taghi (44) has been in custody there since his arrest in Dubai in December 2019. In June, the Public Prosecution Service demanded a life sentence against him in the Marengo trial. Marengo revolves around six murders and a number of attempted murders.
Youssef T. was arrested in the EBI on October 8 last year while visiting his infamous cousin. In the months before that, he had visited him numerous times in his capacity as a lawyer. Taghi has several lawyers.
In the spring of 2021, the Justice Department started an investigation into the frequent contacts between Taghi and his lawyer cousin. During visits, the two were overheard and filmed. The two often talked about escape plans, from the EBI or during a transport to court.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, it has become apparent that T. has been the link between his cousin and the (criminal) outside world. T. has been incarcerated since his arrest and is no longer a lawyer.
Last week it was announced that T.’s lawyers Yassine Bouchikhi and Haroon Raza had stopped his case. The reasons for this are unknown. André Seebregts has taken over the defence. He does not want to say anything about the background of the lawyer change. Not even in court, he says. Seebregts also assists another cousin of Taghi, who is suspected of involvement in the preparation of the murder of Derk Wiersum in September 2019. Wiersum was the counsel for Nabil B., the key witness in Marengo.
It is not known whether the appointment of the new lawyer will lead to a delay. The court previously indicated that it wants to hear the substance of the case in December.