The arrest of Vito Shukrula, attorney for Ridouan Taghi, has hit like a bomb with fellow criminal lawyers. There is disbelief that now for the third time a lawyer for Taghi has been arrested on suspicion of acting as an errand boy between Ridouan Taghi and his organization.
Earlier, his cousin Youseff Taghi was convicted of passing messages, something renowned criminal lawyer Inez Weski is also suspected of. But there is also restraint. ''It's a suspicion, it still has to be proven.''
''It's like there's a curse on this case,'' said Dennis Wolters, president of the Dutch Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. ''It seems that everyone who visits Taghi is put in handcuffs,'' said Jan Hein Kuipers, the criminal lawyer who assisted defendants other than Taghi during the Marengo trial.
Stroke of mind
What is going on, no one knows yet, but Ridouan Taghi's trial is stirring up a lot of controversy. Lawyers are holding back when it comes to the exact accusation, including Sjoerd van Berge Henegouwen. He is assisting Ridouan Taghi, including in his proceedings at the European Court. ''We don't know exactly what Shukrula is suspected of and how serious this is.''
He himself did not have any bad experiences with Taghi. ''I never noticed with Taghi that he wanted anything improper from me.''
'Very heavy step'
Other lawyers react in disbelief. ''I couldn't believe it would go wrong again in this case,'' said criminal lawyer Sander Janssen. Janssen became known for his defense of Willem Holleeder. ''Forewarned is forearmed.'' It looks like Shukrula is passing messages for Taghi. But we have to wait and see what is really going on.''
Well-known criminal lawyer Peter Plasman has been "shocked and bewildered" about the news for a while. ,,It is of course still only a suspicion, but after all the commotion you may assume that the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) will not act overnight. The OM will think they have a strong case. For now, I assume the prosecution has thought carefully about this arrest. Arresting a lawyer is a very heavy step.''
Nor can Plasman accept that a lawyer seems to have once again functioned as a messenger boy. ''You have been warned as a lawyer, haven't you?'' Kuipers also sits with that question. ''How could it have come to this? If it can already happen to Weski, it can happen to anyone.'' Weski is the lawyer who is the most clean-cut I know.''
Fear of image damage
Guilty or not, that remains to be seen in the time to come. But the case is already damaging the image of the criminal legal profession. ''This affects the prestige of the criminal legal profession,'' Plasman said.
The lawyers are balking at the news because it reflects on the profession. ''That another lawyer is arrested doesn't do the profession's image any good,'' Kuipers soberly observes. ,,I'm sick of it.''
Wolters tries to nuance the issue. ''We do talk about incidents, most lawyers do their work nicely,'' he stresses.
The Bar Association also fears for the image of the legal profession. ''It is shocking because there are suspicions of serious crimes and because now a lawyer is in a police cell. When a lawyer is arrested, it affects the entire profession. It affects the position and reputation in the rule of law and the image of the legal profession,'' said general dean Jeroen Soeteman.
Wasp nest
The arrest will also affect Taghi's appeal of his earlier conviction. Once again, the defense will lose a lawyer. Wolters wonders who will take on the defense now.
''It almost seems like asking for trouble when you take on the defense of Ridouan Taghi. You are putting yourself in a hornet's nest.'' He also does not see Shukrula returning anytime soon if he is acquitted of all charges. ''The question is whether he wants to return under these circumstances.''
Plasman also fears that the appeal case will be delayed.
