Top criminal lawyer swapped thousands of messages with crime boss, Prosecutors say

On the first day of her trial at the Rotterdam court, former attorney Inez Weski faced allegations from the Public Prosecution Service (OM) of misusing her position as a lawyer to shield her communications with Ridouan Taghi, her former client. Prosecutors alleged that Weski exchanged at least 8,000 messages with Taghi and his associates while he was detained in the Extra Beveiligde Inrichting (EBI) in Vught.

Weski, 69, was not present in court Tuesday, citing “serious personal and medical reasons.” In her absence, her attorneys, led by Geert-Jan Knoops, read a prepared statement in her defense. The statement criticized the OM for making what Weski described as “careless, unsettling, and damaging” claims in the media ahead of the trial.

“She has served the rule of law for 45 years and deserves respect,” Knoops said in court. He described Weski as “an extraordinary woman and attorney who has dedicated her entire life to justice.”

The OM accused Weski of secretly passing messages to and from Taghi during her time as his attorney, allegedly enabling him to maintain control over criminal operations from behind bars. The prosecution claimed these communications were disguised as confidential legal correspondence, a misuse of attorney-client privilege.

The OM argued Weski was “hiding behind her attorney’s robe” to facilitate unlawful communications. “This is not about respecting legal confidentiality,” the prosecutor stated. “This is about deliberately aiding a criminal network.” Weski has consistently denied the accusations through her legal team.

Weski was arrested in April 2023 and spent more than 40 days in pretrial detention, a period she later described as “traumatic.” She claimed she was held in a secretive, windowless facility, which she referred to as a “bunker,” where she experienced multiple “near-death” incidents due to health complications and alleged safety lapses.

Weski’s statement Tuesday requested clarification from authorities about why she was placed in those conditions, stating that the detention “created life-threatening situations.” She also alleged that her inability to summon help when the intercom system malfunctioned exacerbated her health issues.

The OM dismissed Weski’s claims of deliberate endangerment as “unfounded and absurd.” A spokesperson stated, “All necessary measures were taken to ensure her safety and health during her detention.”

Weski, once a prominent attorney, played a role in enabling Taghi to continue his criminal activities while incarcerated. Taghi is considered the alleged leader of the so-called “Mocro Mafia,” a criminal network linked to drug trafficking, violence, and assassinations in the Netherlands and abroad.

Weski resigned as Taghi’s lawyer shortly before her arrest, citing professional and ethical concerns. The OM has previously suggested that Weski was under pressure from Taghi’s organization to comply with their demands, a claim she has denied.

Further hearings in the trial are expected to focus on the content of the alleged 8,000 communications, their implications, and whether Weski’s actions violated Dutch legal standards governing attorney-client relationships.

She had also previously revealed that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) attempted to pressure her into becoming a key witness or “special informant with favors” following her arrest last year. In the interview with NRC, Weski described the encounter with two prosecutors during her detention as “the strangest” experience of her custody.

The OM allegedly presented Weski with an offer of protection and the possibility of relocation abroad in exchange for information about Taghi and his associates. “I was persistently told by various services of all kinds of dire warnings about danger and threats,” Weski said. She added that she ended the meeting after 15 minutes, feeling the offer crossed professional boundaries. “I thought: how dare you.” In July 2023, Weski deregistered as an attorney. She has since published a book about her arrest and the case against her, Het geluid van de stilte.