DNA backlog of MH17 forces court to free robbery suspect

The court in The Hague had to release suspected robber Abdelhamid T. (36) from custody because the results for his DNA tests are taking too long. Abdelhamid T. is suspected of robbing the shop Op=Op in Gouda on August 9th this year. The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) has not gotten around to the investigation of the DNA trace found at the robbery, because they are too busy with the identification of the victims of the flight MH17 disaster. "This may no longer be at the expense of the accused", the court said yesterday. T., who is well known to the police, was arrested three days after the robbery at the store. Officers recognized him as the perpetrator and he fit the description given by witnesses. T.'s lawyer disputes this.