Suspected driver played bigger role in crime reporter's assassination: report

Kamil E., accused of being the driver in the assassination of Peter R. de Vries, played a much more significant role in the crime reporter's murder. This is apparent from messages from the encrypted smartphone found in the car in which E. and suspected gunman Delano G. were arrested shortly after the shooting. The authorities managed to decrypt the messages, Het Parool reports.

The extensive chats showed that the 35-year-old E. instructed 22-year-old Delano G. where to go to shoot De Vries. E. also explored the area, explained to G. where De Vries would come from when he left the RTL Boulevard studio, planned their getaway, and communicated with an as-yet-unidentified person about weapons. It appears that this unidentified person instructed E. to perform these actions, according to the newspaper.

Pieter R. de Vries was gunned down after he left the RTL Boulevard studio and was walking to his car parked in a parking garage on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam. The shooting happened at around 7:30 p.m. on July 6. The crime reported died in hospital on July 15.

Kamil E. always claimed in court and interrogations that he only drove an unknown person to Amsterdam for an unspecified job and got paid 100 euros to do so. He said he knew nothing about the plan to murder De Vries. He also denied doing reconnaissance in the area in advance.