Judges refuse to release footballer Quincy Promes ahead of drug smuggling, assault cases
Dutch footballer Quincy Promes was denied bond on Tuesday, and will remain in prison at least until the next status hearing in his appeal on convictions related to cocaine trafficking and the stabbing of his cousin. Promes was convicted in both cases in absentia, after refusing to fly back to the Netherlands for either case, but has been in custody since July after officials in the United Arab Emirates agreed to his extradition. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled the footballer essentially "evaded the legal process", and refused to release him from custody, even temporarily.
The criminal allegations date back to 2020, when he was playing for Ajax and the Dutch men's national team. In one case, the court convicted him in 2023, and sentenced him to 1.5 years in prison for stabbing his cousin in the knee during a family party in Abcoude. He was convicted in 2024 for involvement in a scheme to smuggle approximately 1,362 kilograms of cocaine through the Port of Antwerp and into the Netherlands. He was sentenced to 6 more years in prison in that case.
But he left the country in 2021 to play for Spartak Moscow in Russia, and he refused to travel to the Netherlands to face the charges against him. He also refused efforts to convince him to return voluntarily to begin serving his sentences. Promes, who played for the national team on 50 occasions, was playing for a UAE second division side, United FC Dubai, until his arrest in June. He was extradited to the Netherlands and arrested upon his arrival, despite an attempt to make a deal with the Public Prosecutor to await his trial in freedom so that he could continue his football career.
"It would lead to social unrest," said the judge in charge of Tuesday's hearing. "The interest in continuing your professional football career does not outweigh the social and criminal justice interests." Promes was ordered to remain in custody for 90 more days, when his request can be reconsidered during the next preliminary hearing. The court is handling arguments in both appeals simultaneously.
His attorney had argued on Tuesday that Promes is not a flight risk. Cem Polat told the Amsterdam Court of Appeals that his client should be allowed to await the outcome of the appeal in freedom because a timeline for the case is not clear. The lawyer also argued that Promes needs to stay fit for his football career, which is not possible in prison. Polat described the current detention as “disruptive” for Promes’ children.
The Public Prosecution Service has vehemently argued against any suspension or lifting of Quincy Promes’ pre-trial detention, arguing that it was too soon to grant Promes such flexibility. The prosecutor said there is a flight risk and that the public would be shocked if Promes were permitted to wait for his appeal outside of prison. The probation service was “supportive” of a possible suspension of the detention, according to one report, but did not comment on whether Promes might again try to evade his sentence.
The footballer invoked his right to remain silent and not incriminate himself in both cases, and has fully kept investigators in the dark, argued the Advocate General, the attorney representing prosecution in appeals cases. "He's keeping his mouth shut, despite all the leeway he's been given," the attorney said on Tuesday, according to Nu.nl.
Promes attended the second preliminary session at the court on Tuesday. Among those in the public gallery was his former teammate Hakim Ziyech, who now plays for Al Duhail in Qatar.
