Crown witness Peter La S., who this autumn in the dit appeal against Willem Holleeder as a witness in the extra secure court at Schiphol has been missing for months.
This emerged during a substantive handling of the case, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service confirms. “It’s a mystery where he is and it’s not clear why we can’t contact him.”
The Public Prosecution Service does not assume that the crown witness is unwilling. “The possibility is that something happened to him without his knowledge. But that is speculation.” The court has ordered the Public Prosecution Service to continue searching.
Lawyer also lost him
Lawyer Jan Peter van Schaik of Peter La S. confirmed to the ANP that his client has been untraceable for some time and that he finds it “worrying”. He too is puzzled, he says.
La S. must testify in the case in September or October, the spokesman said. An exact date has not yet been announced, which the court has yet to determine.
Willem Holleeder for life
La S. made a deal with the Public Prosecution Service in the large liquidation process Passage. He made incriminating statements about, among other things, his part in the murder of Kees Houtman (2005). He also helped solve the murder of Thomas van der Bijl (2006). In return, he received a reduced sentence, a new identity and 1.4 million euros to build a new life outside the Netherlands.
Willem Holleeder was already convicted by the court in 2019. He got lifetime for ordering five liquidations between 2002 and 2006, which killed a total of six. He was arrested at the end of 2014 because he was suspected of being involved in the liquidations of Kees Houtman and Thomas van der Bijl.
In 2015, suspicions of the murders of his brother-in-law Cor van Hout, Willem Endstra and John Mieremet were added. During the liquidation of Van Hout in 2003, boat seller Robert ter Haak was also killed.
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