More than a year and a half after the murder in Amsterdam, the investigative authority presented its report in The Hague on Wednesday. This shows that the researchers missed important signals or did not pass them on.
The prominent reporter de Vries was shot in the middle of Amsterdam in the summer of 2021 at the age of 64. Nine days later he succumbed to his injuries. Organized crime was probably responsible. De Vries was a star witness in a criminal case against a notorious drug gang. The key witness’s brother and his lawyer had been killed before. In all three cases, the researchers have now found serious flaws in personal protection.
Personal protection was not a main priority
Accordingly, important information – such as suspicious persons or vehicles – was not checked. Also, no information was passed on to the bodyguards, for example a reference to a suspect who pursued de Vries.
All three men were threatened by the same criminal network. That was known, according to the report. Nevertheless, their protection would not have been a high priority, as the researchers note.
Key witness testified to several contract killings
Lawyer Derk Wiersum was shot dead in front of his home in Amsterdam in 2019. A suspicious car had previously been spotted several times at the scene. The brother of key witness Reduan B. was murdered in his apartment in 2018. He was not under personal protection.
The key witness testified in a criminal trial about several murders for hire. The prime suspect is Ridouan Taghi. He risks a life sentence. However, there is no direct evidence of his complicity in the three murders. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
