I remembered there was a topic about Willem Holleeder some years ago. I was wondering if someone followed the case and posted the results of the trial against him. Since no one did, I will give a little more information about it.

The story of Holleeder begins in 1982 when he and some other criminals kidnap Freddy Heineken. Before that he was also known by the police, but the normal citizens haven't heard of him before. After some years of prison he gets back.

His downfall started when he met Willem Endstra. A financial advisor and 'real estate broker'(?). Willem E. was also known as the underworld banker. Laundring money etc.

After a while stories say that Holleeder was extorting Endstra. 17 may 2004 Endstra was liquidated.

In the mean while Holleeder was involved in a lot more difficult things. Everytime a criminal activity was known to the police, Willem Holleeder was mentioned as a suspect.

Finally on 30 januari 2006 Willem Holleeder was arrested for extortion and abuse of 'real estate brokers'. Also 13 other suspects were arrested. The proscecutor had also searched for evidence in a whole range of liquidations but told that this arrest was absolutely not focussed on the liquidations. This was because of the low evidence they had. If they would go to trial with it they needed more to prevent that Holleeder was excused.

The main evidence in the extortion case was from Willem Endstra. Nobody knew that just before his liquidation he had talked for hours with the special intelligence service of the police. 254 Pages of words from Endstra. He told them everything in his way of view.

The trial of Holleeder started 2 april 2007. He was supported by top advocate Bram Moszkowicz (how layed down his defense on 19 february because he thought he couldn't defend his client very well with all the critics about him in the news. The new advocate is Jan Heijn Kuipers). The trial was in the special court of Amsterdam called 'the bunker'. That was because of the fact that this court was heavily guarded with thick walls, few windows etc. It was used for cases like this.

One night before the trial started the bunker was attacked with explosions. Despite that the trial still started (but not in the bunker, the case was now in the normal court of Amsterdam) the next day. Nobody knows who was behind the attacks.

During the trial Holleeder got ill. Everybody thought it was fake, but the trial was supended. On eastern day he went to the hospital.But nothing was fake here. Holleeder was serious ill. He had two leaking heartflaps (?) and was on the intensive care. The trial was supended for 2 months.

In september 2007 it continues. A lot of things happened around that time: Crown witness Bram Zeegers was found dead in his appartement. He got an overdosis of extacy. Still people think it wasn't suicide. Holleeder became ill again and trial was again suspended for 1-2 days.

Finally on 12 november 2007 the prosecutor demands 12 years of prison for the extortions and abuse. The court doesn't go fully with them and give them 9 years (expressed on 21 december 2007).

This result was very good for the prosecution. Because one day before this they lost a major case against the Hell Angels and that was mainly because they used illegal evidence and didn't tell the judges everything they knew (illegal taps from advocates which they didn't destroy).

These days, december 2008, the trial is again hot news since Holleeder appealed to the case. On the first day there was also a journalist a witness. This was John van den Heuvel. He writes a lot of books about the dutch underworld. He was the main reason why the Endstra-imperium fell down. After an interview with big criminal John Mieremet he wrote that Endstra was the banker of the underworld and that Holleeder was his guardian. From that moment on liquidations started..

Last note: in february 2008 Holleeder was arrested in his cel for one liquidation, that of Srdan Miranovic (Yugo criminal in the group of Sreten Jocic. He and Holleeder were in some kind of criminal war). So it looks like the prosecution has enough evidence in one case.

(I hope to keep you people posted if you are interested in the continuings in this trial)