On Monday, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal acquitted three men of involvement in the murder of real estate trader Willem Endstra (51) and inflicting serious bodily harm on May 17, 2004 on his business partner David Denneboom. The court acquitted the suspects in January 2016. The Public Prosecution Service appealed and demanded eight years in prison against two suspects and nine years in prison against the third suspect.
Endstra (51) was shot dead on May 17, 2004 in front of his office on the Apollolaan in Amsterdam South. His partner Denneboom, who was sitting next to him, was seriously injured in his leg.
Complicit
According to the Public Prosecution Service, it could be proven that the three suspects were jointly complicit in the murder attempt. They would have supported the shooter by providing him with cars, shelter and providing for his necessities of life. Finally, they would have brought the shooter to the vicinity of Endstra’s office. The Public Prosecution Service also considered the possession of firearms and the handling of two cars to be proven for two of the suspects.
Shooter passed away
The police heard many witnesses who were at the Apollolaan on May 17, 2004 around noon. In conjunction with camera images and forensic evidence, this led to the arrest of the shooter: Namik Abassov from Russia, who died in his cell in 2012 from a cerebral hemorrhage. However, according to the court, it is not apparent from the witness statements that the suspects – Özgür C. (43), Ziya G. (49) and Ali N. (38) – were also present at the crime scene during the attack.
Additional pieces
The Public Prosecution Service submitted documents from two other murder cases as additional evidence on appeal: Buddha (the 2005 liquidation of John Mieremet in Thailand) and Husky (the 2006 liquidation of Hakki Yesilkagit in Tilburg). In addition, the Public Prosecution Service provided an outline of the cohesion between different layers of an alleged criminal organization. Finally, extensive research was carried out to verify the statements of witness Hidr Korkmaz. This Turkish-Dutch drug trafficker died in 2017 after a bizarre fishing accident in which he was electrocuted.
The court ruled that there is insufficient evidence that the suspects would have performed the acts alleged by the Public Prosecution Service on behalf of the shooter. The extra pieces brought in have not changed this. As a result, the three were acquitted on appeal on Monday.
Willem Holleeder was sentenced to life imprisonment on appeal in June 2022 for, among other things, the murder of Endstra.
See previous posts about the case:
Up to 16 years in prison demanded for murder of Endstra
‘Witness case-Endstra contradicts itself’
“The friend” texted for “chores” (UPDATE)
‘Endstra suspects committed six murders’
Endstra murder: the color of the Alfa Romeo
‘New suspect Endstra murder’
