The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Central Netherlands, Rutger Jeuken, has transferred responsibility for protecting the family of the key witness in the Marengo trial to someone else. He writes this in a confidential letter to the family of crown witness Nabil B., from which de Volkskrant and Het Parool quote.
The reason for the departure is the dissatisfaction of the family of crown witness Nabil B. about Jeuken. In a letter that a family member wrote to Jeuken on March 6, and is in the hands of Het Parool, it is stated that the family is not satisfied with him. “My family is not safe and does not feel safe under the direction of the current chief public prosecutor in Central Netherlands.”
The family member, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he speaks on behalf of Nabil B.’s family. “We not only feel fear of the threat from the network around Ridouan Taghi (ed.), but also of you as the public prosecutor responsible for our safety.”
‘Failing security’
De Volkskrant has also published passages from the letter. “You bear responsibility for all abuses, incidents and failing security in recent years. It cannot be the case that you stoically continue with what you were already doing, in the words of your boss Gerrit van der Burg.”
According to de Volkskrant, the family received a response from Jeuken on Friday. It reads: “My duties as authority over the security measures for you and your family are transferred.” The newspaper writes that another organization outside the Public Prosecution Service will take over the task and that this will happen “in the short term”. “I deeply regret to learn that you do not feel safe,” writes Jeuken.
Critical report
The decision is related to the critical report from the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) about the murders of three people close to the key witness: his brother Reduan, his lawyer Derk Wiersum and his confidant Peter R. de Vries.
The report came out March 1. It states that the Public Prosecution Service failed in the security of Nabil B at the time.
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