Secret tapes: 'Khalid Kasem had direct contact with fugitive Taghi'
OUR REPORTERS
Modified: 47 min ago1 hour agoinland _
AMSTERDAM - Khalid Kasem had direct contact with Ridouan Taghi, probably at a time when he was still on the run. The AD reported this on Tuesday based on a number of conversations recorded by Peter R. de Vries at his law office. Kasem previously denied that he had contacts with Taghi and his criminal organization.
The AD was previously not allowed to publish this after Royce de Vries won summary proceedings on the issue. Last week, the court of appeal reversed that verdict. The newspaper published the previously offending article on its site on Tuesday about a number of conversations secretly recorded at the law firm De Vries and Kasem.
Mafia boss Raffaele Imperiale
During one of the conversations, Kasem also admitted, according to AD, that he acted as a lawyer for mafia boss Raffaele Imperiale, who, according to the justice department, worked closely with Taghi at the time. Peter R. de Vries – who at that time was director of the law firm of his son Royce de Vries and Khalid Kasem – said he knew nothing about this, according to a recorded conversation with Kasem.
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“For Royce and for me, the question arises as to whether things have happened in the past with you and the Taghi clan (…) that we now have to say 'we need to know about that'. Because I was surprised that you told me that you assisted Raffaele Imperiale," De Vries says on a tape in the possession of the AD.
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“I never heard anything about that. And neither does Royce. And in fact, we were convinced that you were on holiday in Dubai at the time.” According to Kasem, there was not much going on and it was only later that he realized that there was a link between Taghi and Imperiale.
Inez Weski
According to the AD, the recorded conversations also show that Kasem was indeed approached by gang members to provide information after the murder squad attributed to Taghi was rounded up. Kasem allegedly did not pass on any information, but said he contacted lawyer Inez Weski, who did not yet play a role in the criminal proceedings.
Kasem previously denied ties with Taghi's organization, including in an interview with de Volkskrant. “The fact is that I know them all,” Kasem said on the tape recordings.
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Shurandy S., the murderer of the brother of key witness Nabil B., turns out to be a childhood friend of Kasem. “They are all boys I grew up with, so that makes it crazy.”
Kasem admitted during one of the recorded conversations that he had recently had contact with Taghi. According to the AD, in the recorded conversation Kasem probably looked back on the incident in May 2019, when Peter R. de Vries announced that he was on a death list and then received a letter from Taghi in which he denied being behind murder plans towards De Vries .
Khalid Kasem and Royce de Vries accuse AD in responses of sensational journalism and false accusations. According to the latter, the AD bases itself on stolen confidential conversations that were conducted in the privacy of the office. BnnVara says it is hearing about the findings for the first time and cannot say anything substantive about it. According to the broadcaster, this concerns work that Kasem performed before he joined BnnVara.
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Various parties, including the National Criminal Investigation Department and the dean of the Bar Association, are currently conducting investigations into the office of De Vries and Khalid Kasem following previous reports that Kasem allegedly bribed a judicial officer. Kasem denies that too. He only wanted to reduce a client's high collection debt.
