Leon van Kleef, Richard R.’s lawyer, argued on Wednesday that the firm belief of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) that his client is a major player in the underworld has led to tunnel vision. On Monday, ‘Rico the Chilean’ heard demands against him for fourteen years to lead a criminal organization.
“A goal has been reasoned from a firm conviction,” said Van Kleef. Fragments of communication attributed to his client and other criminals, according to the lawyer presented by the Public Prosecution Service as substantiation of the suspicion, but according to him lack context or are incomplete.
The lawyer has doubts whether the court can even reach a decision on whether his client has led a criminal organization with the aim of drug trafficking and liquidations, because he has not been extradited for this suspicion. R. was arrested in Chile in 2017 and brought to the Netherlands a year later.
The Public Prosecution Service may not prosecute someone for a suspicion for which someone has not been extradited. According to Van Kleef, this is the case in this case and the Public Prosecution Service has forfeited the right to prosecution.
According to the lawyer, little remains of suspicion
The OM made it clear on Monday after a two-day argument that it sees R. as a pivot in the international drug trade and that he has laundered the proceeds in a sophisticated manner. Competitors in that drug trade or rivals should be eliminated.
“And what exactly is left of that suspicion at the bottom of the line?” Wondered Van Kleef. According to the lawyer, that is relatively little and therefore R. should be acquitted on most points.
On Thursday, the Public Prosecution Service and Van Kleef are allowed to react to each other’s points of view again and R. gets the last word. The court will rule on this case on May 10.
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