During the last day of session in the Marengo liquidation process, Weski asked the court to split the case against Taghi. Weski said the request came “emphatically” from her client and that this request is in the interest of the tranquility of the process. Weski stated that there is ‘disproportionate’ attention for Taghi in the case. “If the Taghi case is split off, we can go back to the core in the current process and the co-defendants and their interests will be given sufficient attention,” Weski said.
OM: No extra pressure for crown witness
The OM does not agree. Because crown witness Nabil B. has not only made incriminating statements about Taghi, but also about co-defendants, it is important for ‘procedural economic considerations’ that all interrogations take place simultaneously. “The cases against Taghi and his co-defendants are so intertwined that a proper administration of justice entails that the cases must be handled simultaneously. That interest outweighs any personal interest on the part of Taghi in not handling his case simultaneously,” according to the Public Prosecution Service. The Public Prosecution Service does not like the fact that the crown witness should also be questioned more often because of the ‘extra burden’ for the crown witness.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the Marengo process would also receive less attention from the media (and can therefore proceed more calmly) without Taghi. “The Public Prosecution Service sees it differently: the media attention is not only for the person of suspect Taghi, but also for the key witness. If Nabil B. had to appear and testify in two different criminal cases, it would only lead to even more media attention.”
The Marengo trial will resume on Wednesday, October 13.
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