The Marengo trial, also known as the Marengo case, is a legal proceeding involving alleged high-ranking members of the Mocro Maffia, a Dutch-Moroccan criminal organisation.[1] [2] The trial centers on seventeen defendants accused of participating in numerous murders and attempted murders.[3]
On 27 February 2024, the trial concluded after six years of proceedings. Among the seventeen individuals prosecuted, three were sentenced to life imprisonment, including Ridouan Taghi and Saïd Razzouki, who were convicted for their roles in ten murders.[4]
| Name | Requested sentence[5] | Verdict | Lawyers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | Inez Weski (-2023) Susanne Boersma (-2023) Laura Versluis (-2023)[6] Michael Ruperti (2023) (2023) Sjoerd van Berge Henegouwen (2023) | ||
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | Christian Flokstra (-2021)[7] Nico Meijering (-2021) Robert van ’t Land Mark Dunsbergen[8] | ||
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=27 | 27 years | Christian Flokstra Nico Meijering[9] | ||
| data-sort-value=14 | 14 years | data-sort-value=5 | 5 years, 8 months | Yassine Bouchikhi[10] | ||
| data-sort-value=25,8 | 25 years, 8 months | data-sort-value=9 | 9 years, 6 months | Jan-Hein Kuijpers[11] | ||
| data-sort-value=16 | 16 years | data-sort-value=3 | 3 years, 8 months | [12] | ||
| data-sort-value=26,5 | 26 years, 5 months | data-sort-value=13 | 13 years, 7 months | Marcel Heuvelmans[13] | ||
| data-sort-value=26,8 | 26 years, 8 months | data-sort-value=23 | 23 years, 4 months | Jurriaan de Vries[14] | ||
| data-sort-value=16 | 16 years | data-sort-value=8 | 8 years, 7 months | Ruud van Boom | ||
| data-sort-value=5 | 5 years, 11 months | data-sort-value=1 | 1 years, 9 months | Max den Blanken | ||
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=29 | 29 years, 2 months | Guy Weski[15] | ||
| data-sort-value=16 | 16 years | data-sort-value=5 | 5 years, 6 months | Christian Flokstra | ||
| data-sort-value=23,8 | 23 years, 8 months | data-sort-value=19 | 19 years, 3 months | Shirley Sprinter | ||
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=15 | 15 years, 8 months | Inez Weski[16] Susanne Boersma | ||
| data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | data-sort-value=30 | Life imprisonment | Inez Weski Susanne Boersma | ||
| data-sort-value=20 | 20 years | data-sort-value=15 | 15 years, 2 months | C. van Oort[17] |
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This investigation pertains to participation in a criminal organization during the period from July 1, 2015, to January 14, 2017.
This investigation pertained to the murder of Ronald Bakker and the preparation of an attack on the spy shop where he worked.
Bakker was murdered because he allegedly provided the police with information about customers of the store in Nieuwegein where he worked. In a separate case, two 'spotters' were also convicted for this murder.[18]
Preparatory actions for causing an explosion in the spy shop in Nieuwegein, where Bakker was employed. Taghi suspected the company of collaborating with the police and judiciary. This was evident from messages intercepted by the police via PGP phones between Taghi and co-defendants, which could only be cracked years later.[19]
This investigation pertained to the preparation of the murder of Fachtali and the murder of Samir Erraghib. According to intercepted messages (PGPs), Taghi believed Erraghib had passed information about his organization to the police.[20]
This investigation pertained to the murder of Abderrahim Belhadj. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), Taghi ordered his liquidation because Belhadj allegedly stole two blocks of cocaine.[21]
This investigation pertained to the preparation of the murder of the El Margai brothers, Buzhu, and Scekic, and the murder of the latter. Scekic was murdered just before he was due to testify in a criminal case against Taghi in Utrecht. He was allegedly part of a group preparing murders on behalf of Taghi.
Attempted murder of Martin Kok. In June 2016, ex-criminal and crime blogger Martin Kok published on his website Vlinderscrime about two of Taghi's accomplices. In July 2016, an attempt was made to liquidate Kok by placing a bomb under the car he was driving, but it was discovered in time.
Attempted murder of Abdelkarim Ahabad.
Attempted murder of Khalil B. In the night, Khalil B house was entered by two or three men armed with automatic weapons. Badho managed to escape through the window.[22]
Attempted murder of Martin Kok and murder of Martin Kok. On September 12, 2016, Kok wrote on his website about Taghi, Richard R., and Naoufal F. On the afternoon of December 8 in Amsterdam-South, another attempt was made on Kok's life, but the shooter's weapon jammed, unbeknownst to Kok. That same evening, Kok was eventually liquidated in Laren.[23] For luring Kok into a trap, a Scottish man was convicted in a separate case.[24]
Murder of Hakim Changachi. According to the prosecution, Changachi was not the intended target of the murder, but rather Khalid Hmidat.
Preparation of the murder of Khalid Hmidat. Khalid Hmidat was the intended target of the liquidation in which Changachi was killed. A few days later, a new murder attempt followed, but Hmidat noticed his pursuers in time and alerted the police.[25] [26]
A breakthrough was made when Nabil B., one of the suspects, offered to give a statement.[27] Shortly after, Nabil's non-criminal brother was murdered, after which Nabil pulled out, later changing his decision.[28] His attorney, Derk Wiersum, was killed on 18 September 2019.[29]
The investigative journalist and crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was supporting the crown witness in the trial. On 6 July 2021, he was shot in the head after leaving the television studio of RTL Boulevard in Amsterdam where he had appeared as a guest. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. On 15 July he died as a result of the shooting.
The name Marengo was chosen randomly by a computer and is derived from a type of fabric with the same name.[30]