LIVE | In Marengo sample trial 43 suspects still have...

Nevertheless, the Amsterdam court and the Public Prosecution Service still think it should be possible to handle the mega-process Marengo from February according to year. This became clear on Wednesday during the thirteenth introductory session in the largest criminal trial to date in the Netherlands.

Our reporter Saskia Belleman is following the case. You can read her tweets at the bottom of this article.

The trial began more than 2.5 years ago with a handful of suspects. Seventeen are now suspected of involvement in six murders, four liquidation attempts, three preparations for murder, the preparation of two explosions and membership of a criminal organization led by Ridouan Taghi and his right-hand man Saïd Razzouki.

Vast in Colombia

The latter is still detained in Colombia and it is unclear when he will be extradited. During a search of his cell at the request of the Netherlands, the Colombian authorities found three telephones. These have been handed over and are currently under forensic investigation.

The court announced at the beginning of the hearing that the progress of the interrogations of crown witness Nabil B. is not in question, due to the resignation of the investigating judge. From February, he will be heard by the court itself during public hearings. According to the public prosecutor, his interrogations were almost completed.

The same goes for checking the veracity of his statements. According to the OM, this shows that the statements of Nabil B. are supported by other evidence and are therefore reliable. Explanations of research results differ only in a few details.

Lawyer Inez Weski, who assists Ridouan Taghi, Mario R. and Mao R., asked the court for further investigation into the mistreatment of suspect Anouar B. by his Moroccan interrogators in the presence of Dutch agents in the Marrakesh prison. She had wanted to do that earlier, but then the court decided that it was sufficient to put the report in the file of the two Dutch police officers.

Anouar B. has made extremely incriminating statements about Ridouan Taghi who allegedly ordered the murder of crime blogger Martin Kok and about Achraf B., who carried out the liquidation. Weski doubts the usefulness for the truth-finding if those statements have been forced by force. She wants to hear not only the Dutch police officers, but also one of the Moroccan interrogators and the interpreter as witnesses.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, there is no indication that the Dutch police officers played a debatable role.