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)

Whew, what a story, Floors! Thanks. Was Freddie Heinekens of the brewing family?
I read the other day that Amsterdam's government has agreed to cut back the number of brothels and marijuana shops by half.

Well, big criminals, big stories.

Heineken was indeed of the brewing family. He was kidnapped by Holleeder, van Hout, Boellaard, Meijer and Erkamps. Holleeder got 11 years prison for that. Of the 35 million dutch guilders (remember it was 1983 ransom 8 million was never found back. They say it was invested in real estate.

Amsterdam is cutting the shops. This because of national rules. Shops within 200 meters of schools (and other things like that) must be closed.

For the brothels the reason is more focussed on other things. Brothels are used to launder money. With halfing them they think they can (slightly) battle against organized crime and money laundry.

The Russian Mafia are gonna fight back.

Were in Holland? No way...

They own nearly all of these cannabis places.

The Dutch government takes these away, the Russians need to replace that income somehow.

Were did you learn that the Russian mob owns the most of the coffeeshops?

Ah, your from the Netherlands. Whatever you thinks right is right.

I didn't want to insult you or something like that. Maybe you are 100% right, but I'm just curious what source you have. My guess is that most shops whom are owned by mobsters are owned by Dutch mobsters and Chinese mobsters.

Today there was a little news fact. The trial of Dino Soerel, bigshot and friend of Willem Holleeder, will start in september 2009. There is still doubt about the question whom of the two is the real boss. Some say Soerel, others Holleeder. Endstra (mentioned above)said Soerel was the only real boss.

Soerel will be accused of drug trafficking. He should have trafficked over a million pills, 75 kilo heroine and 5100 kilo cocaine (according to the prosecutor).

Also Soerel is suspected of committing some murders. But since evidence is thin they don't start the trial (if it fails they can't bring him back in the same case: ne bis in idem).