Taghi, right-hand man didn't discuss crime when making contact in prison, gov't says

The Marengo main suspects Ridouan Taghi and Saïd R., who had 20 seconds of “unauthorized contact” with each other in the high-security prison (EBI) in Vught, did not use that time for criminal matters, according to the Cabinet. There are “no indications” of such “continued criminal conduct,” said State Secretary Ingrid Coenradie (Justice and Security), without mentioning the names of the detainees because she does not want to comment on individual cases. She did not share what exactly was said in the debate with parliament on Wednesday evening.

On Friday, Coenradie acknowledged that there had been contact between two EBI prisoners due to an “incorrect action.” A day earlier, ANP reported that Taghi had been transferred from the isolated section where he had been detained for years to a more open section at the end of July. There he sat - separated by glass - next to R. and Willem Holleeder, who were also sentenced to life imprisonment. They could see and hear each other. Taghi’s lawyer had already stated at the time that there had been contact between Taghi and R.

Coenradie was only informed about this by the Judicial Institutions Agency (DJI) after reports about it in the media. “That should have happened earlier, and we also had a very good discussion about it,” said the State Secretary. “That will be different from now on.” The incident will be “thoroughly” evaluated by people with “maximum knowledge of the matter,” promised Coenradi. But she will not make that investigation public. “It contains extremely sensitive information.”

For the same reason, Coenradie does not want to answer many other questions from parliament, such as about the number of available places in the EBI. According to the State Secretary, there is enough space to house new criminals, but VVD parliamentarian Ulysse Ellian disputed this. Later, the State Secretary did say that the occupancy rate at the EBI is “approximately 60 percent.”

Taghi was transferred again on Tuesday, and since then, he has been alone in a department again. Why he was transferred in the first place was never explained.

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, unanimously disapproved of the contact and asked for clarification. “Imagine being a surviving loved one and hearing this,” said Ellian.”

“Not only unwanted but simply dangerous,” said Esmah Lahlah (GroenLinks-PvdA).

“You can say a lot in 20 seconds,” said Lilian Helder (BBB).