Alleged crime boss Holleeder wants trial moved behind closed doors

Crime boss Willem Holleeder's defense wants 20 days each to question Holleeder's two sisters and ex-girlfriend. The Public Prosecutor wants these three women to be questioned directly in court, instead of behind closed doors, the Telegraaf reports. The questioning of the witnesses starts on December 15th. The witnesses' testimony will lose "emotion and authenticity" if they are first questioned on "every conceivable detail" by the defense and the investigating judge, the Prosecutor said in court on the fourth day of the prof forma sessions on this trial on Friday. Holleeder's lawyer, Stijn Franken, thinks that this is nonsense. He wants to be able to question the witnesses in peace. Holleeder stands trial for the assassinations of Willem Endstra, Cor van Hout, Kees Houtman and Thomas van der Bijl, as well as the assassination and attempted assassination of John Mierement. The Prosecutor also wants to hold Holleeder responsible for the death of Roberd ter Haak, who stood next to Cor van Hout when he was killed, and that of David Denneboom, who sat next to Endstra. The Prosecutor told the court today how Holleeder played a prominent role in the attempted assassination of Mieremet in 2002. According to the Prosecutor, Holleeder told Endstra that Mieremet would be assassinated on the day of the attack, AT5 reports. When Endstra later talked to the police, he stated that he tried to warn Mieremet's son, but could not reach him in time. There is also a statement that Holleeder was in the area at the time of the attack - he stood and watched on a nearby bridge. Mieremet left for Thailand after the attack, where he was shot dead in his office in 2005. The Prosecutor believes that Holleeder is behind this assassination.