THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The trial of the suspected gunman and driver involved in the murder last year of famed Dutch crime reporter Peter R. De Vries opened in the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Peter R. De Vries was gunned down last July on a busy street in Amsterdam. The killing sparked outrage across the country and raised concerns about organized crime’s ability to take down a high-profile public figure seen as a threat.
Both suspects face life in prison if convicted.
The 64-year-old journalist was a popular Dutch television personality, known for his shows around closed, unsolved criminal cases. He had received threats in the past, but refused any protection.
Prosecutors who presented their case on Tuesday said the two men, a 22-year-old Dutchman and a 36-year-old Pole, were charged with murder and unlawful possession of firearms.
They had been arrested hours after the shooting on a Dutch highway. The weapon allegedly used to kill Peter R. De Vries was found in their vehicle, police said.
Dutch suspect Delano Geerman told judges he did not want to comment on the charges. The second suspect, identified as Kamil Egiert, told the court he was not responsible for the murder.
“My role in all of this was just that of a driver, I knew nothing of the murder and I didn’t kill anyone,” he told the judges.
The trial, which begins on Tuesday, concerns only those suspected of the murder, while the investigation into the sponsors continues, prosecutors said.
(Reporting Stephanie van den Berg; French version Federica Mileo, editing by Kate Entringer)
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