Peter Schouten and Onno de Jong, the lawyers of key witness Nabil B., demand that OM chief Gerrit van der Burg resign. According to the two counsel, the Public Prosecution Service does not take the findings of the OVV report presented on Wednesday seriously. Royce de Vries also believes that Van der Burg cannot stay on if he does not realize that he has made mistakes.
Wouter Laumans, Paul Vugts, Tom van der Meer
Latest update:
02-03-23, 21:19
The two lawyers made their position known in a press statement on Thursday. On Wednesday, the two lawyers of Nabil B., key witness in the Marengo trial, also lashed out at the Public Prosecution Service.
With their press statement, the two lawyers respond to the response of the Public Prosecution Service to the report published on Wednesday by the Dutch Safety Board (OVV). In that report, the OVV concludes that the government has seriously failed to protect lawyer Derk Wiersum, Peter R. de Vries and Reduan, the brother of crown witness Nabil B.
Gerrit van der Burg, chairman of the Board of Procurators General, responded to the report on Wednesday. In an interview with the television program News hour he stated in the report that he saw no reason to resign. Other Public Prosecution officers who were involved in the Surveillance and Security system do not have to resign as far as Van der Burg is concerned.
‘OM gives victims a kick’
Lawyers Schouten and De Jong accuse Van der Burg of ‘arrogance’. “With its response, the Public Prosecution Service shows that the OVV and its report are not taken seriously,” said the lawyers. “This reaction simply insults victims, surviving relatives and other people involved and they receive a hard kick from the Public Prosecution Service. Apart from that, the reaction is completely detached from the raw reality that is analyzed in detail in the OVV report and made visible.”
If he still stands behind his reaction, I don’t think he’s the right man in the right place. That is why I also believe that he cannot stay on
According to Schouten and De Jong, the report cannot be without consequences. “The realization that actions, but also omissions by an individual have consequences, must apparently be hammered in, but is essential for improvements in the future.”
The son of Peter R. de Vries, Royce, also thinks that Van der Burg should leave if he sticks to his point of view. “His reaction offers little confidence that he is actually aware of the mistakes that have been made. If he still stands behind his reaction, which I assume, then I don’t think he’s the right man in the right place. That is why I also believe that he cannot stay on.”
‘Stay in the way of improvement’
In addition to the departure of Gerrit van der Burg, the lawyers believe that the chief public prosecutor of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, the chief public prosecutor of the Central Netherlands district and the measure advisers who were responsible for the family of the crown witness and Peter R. de Vries should also resign.
“With their attitude they demonstrate that they stand in the way of improvement and are therefore not part of the solution, but part of the problem,” said the lawyers.
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