Another murder added to major trial around Ridouan Taghi

During a proforma hearing in the so-called Marengo trial on Monday, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced that a number of suspects in the trial will also be prosecuted for the murder of Abderrahim Belhadj in 2016. Exactly which suspects were linked to this murder, the Prosecutor did not say. More will be disclosed at the next hearing in August, NU.nl reports.

At total of 17 suspects form part of the Marengo trial, which revolves around Ridouan Taghi and the alleged gang around him. Key witness Nabil B. linked this drug-centered gang to multiple murders and attempts thereto. The OM hopes that this trail can start in earnest in December.

It was already known that Nabil B. made statements about Belhadj. According to the OM, recently decrypted messages provided sufficient evidence to charge multiple suspects in the Marengo trial with Belhadj's murder.

Belhadj was gunned down outside the Kikkenstein apartment building in Amsterdam's Zuidoost district in 2016. In March last year, Jason L., also known as rapper Djaga Djaga, was sentenced on appeal to 18 years in prison for involvement in this murder. The court considered it proven that L. lured the victim out of the apartment building so that he could be killed.