Ridouan Taghi tied to two more murders, three more attempted killings

Fugitive Ridouan Taghi has been linked to two more murders, three attempted killings and ordering an attack on a spy shop in Nieuwegein, was revealed in a proforma hearing on Tuesday. The criminal group led by Taghi is now suspected of at least nine assassinations and a whole series of attempted murders and never executed murder plans, Het Parool reports.

The murders newly added to the charges against Taghi and his gang are that of spy shop employee Ronald Bakker on 9 September 2015 and crime blogger Martin Kok on 8 December 2016. Taghi is also charged with two attempts to murder Kok, on 2 July 2018 and earlier on the day of his murder, and an attempt to murder Amsterdam criminal Khalid B. in Rotterdam on 5 December 2016.

The Public Prosecutor also suspects Taghi of ordering an attack on the spy shop in Nieuwegein where Ronald Bakker worked. With encrypted PGP messages, he ordered that a bazooka be fired at the spy shop, or hand grenades be thrown inside. The reason for these plans was that Taghi believed the spy shop provided the police with information and equipment, according to the newspaper.

The new suspicions were discussed behind closed doors on Tuesday. On Friday the court decided that the press and the public would not be allowed to attend the hearing, after the murder of key witness Nabil B.'s lawyer Derk Wiersum. Wiersum was shot dead in front of his home in the Buitenveldert neighborhood of Amsterdam on September 18th.

Nabil B. was not present at the hearing on Tuesday, according to NU.nl. As far as is known, he does not have a new lawyer yet.