Dutch Prosecutors Present Case Against Accused Fortuyn Assassin

BBC News ^ | Augustus 09 2002 | AP

[knighthawk]

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch prosecutors laid out their case Friday against the accused killer of anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn, saying the suspect was captured with gunpowder on his gloves and cell tissue on his trousers.

During a preliminary hearing, Prosecutor Koos Plooy also said police found chemicals that could be used for making bombs at the home of the defendant, Volkert van der Graaf.

It was the most extensive disclosure of evidence in the case, which has captured the nation's attention since the May 6 killing.

The slaying was the first of a prominent political figure in the Netherlands in 400 years. It came just nine days before national elections in which Fortuyn's party won a stunning second place.

Presiding judge Frans Bauduin deliberated with two other judges before extending van der Graaf's custody until the investigation ends or a maximum of three months, whichever comes first.

The judges also denied a request to summon Dutch political leaders to testify on their pretrial remarks, which the defense argued were prejudicial to its case.Van der Graaf, 33, an animal rights activist without a criminal record, has refused to give a statement to investigators. He has been on a hunger strike for four weeks, living on water and fruit juice to protest his prison conditions, which include 24-hour video surveillance. He did not appear in court Friday.

Plooy asked the three-judge tribunal to extend van der Graaf's custody without bail for up to three months to allow more time to investigate, focusing on the defendant's movements in the three days before the slaying and whom he met.

But the evidence, he said, ``leads to the conclusion that it was the suspect himself who shot Fortuyn from close range, and no one else.''

Defense attorney Stijn Franken protested that van der Graaf was being treated by police and the media as if he already were convicted, and that police were not forwarding all their information to the defense team.

``He is marked as the perpetrator, the murderer,'' Franken said.

The prosecutor said the defendant was seen by three witnesses between the time of the shooting in a radio station's parking lot in the town of Hilversum and his capture by police at a nearby gasoline station moments later. Fortuyn was hit by five bullets in the head and chest.

Van der Graaf was found with the gun, which he had pointed at people chasing him and which was smeared with Fortuyn's blood. He wore latex gloves and a jean jacket that were stained with gunpowder, and cell tissue matching Fortuyn's was found on his trousers, Plooy said.

A search of his home computer found that he spent hours browsing the Internet under Fortuyn's name. The papers found in van der Graaf's red Toyota included a map of the Media Park in Hilversum, a map of Fortuyn's home in Rotterdam and a list of other members of Fortuyn's party, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said DNA found on the weapon was linked to a crime last December, but did not come from the defendant. He disclosed no information about the earlier crime.

A search of van der Graaf's garage in a quiet residential area of Harderwijk, some 35 miles east of Amsterdam, turned up chemicals, laboratory equipment and a kitchen timer, Plooy told the court. An explosives expert determined that the material could be used to improvise an explosive or firebomb, he said.

[knighthawk]

Dutch Ping

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

So what will happen to this nutcase after he's convicted?

[knighthawk]

I think he will get 10-15 years in jail (if they can prove he killed another man maybe 15-20) and then another identity far away from here. I doubt they will release him after 7 or 8 years for good behavior, because it will even after this time generate a large protest.

He will also be held in a special regime, because there is a large chance he will be harmed by other prisoners. And there still is a chance he will commit suicide too.

[facedown]

Defense attorney Stijn Franken protested that van der Graaf was being treated by police and the media as if he already were convicted, and that police were not forwarding all their information to the defense team.

snip

Van der Graaf was found with the gun, which he had pointed at people chasing him and which was smeared with Fortuyn's blood. He wore latex gloves and a jean jacket that were stained with gunpowder, and cell tissue matching Fortuyn's was found on his trousers, Plooy said.

Not a lot of 'wiggle room" here it would appear.

Then again, OJ got off! Maybe you've got a Johannes Kakkerlak!

[The KG9 Kid]

Upon conviction, he'd be awaiting execution in most of America.

[knighthawk]

Even his lawyer thinks the only way to get under it is by trying to say Van der Graaf can't have a fair trail now since he has been publicly convinced.

[xJones]

Van der Graaf was found with the gun, which he had pointed at people chasing him and which was smeared with Fortuyn's blood. He wore latex gloves and a jean jacket that were stained with gunpowder, and cell tissue matching Fortuyn's was found on his trousers, Plooy said.

If he had only committed this murder in Texas...

Wearing latex gloves, was he thinking about a run-by shooting?

Pim Fortuyn saw quite clearly what is going in Europe.

[knighthawk]

I'd wish for some Texas justice here. And a high tree to hang him from.

[Catspaw]

That's the MAX he can serve? Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty, but I assure you he'd be doing life without parole at one of the supermax prisons. If he lived in a state with the death penalty, he'd be on death row.

[MeekOneGOP]

But the evidence, he said, ``leads to the conclusion that it was the suspect himself who shot Fortuyn from close range, and no one else.''

< snip >

The prosecutor said the defendant was seen by three witnesses between the time of the shooting in a radio station's parking lot in the town of Hilversum and his capture by police at a nearby gasoline station moments later. Fortuyn was hit by five bullets in the head and chest.

Van der Graaf was found with the gun, which he had pointed at people chasing him and which was smeared with Fortuyn's blood. He wore latex gloves and a jean jacket that were stained with gunpowder, and cell tissue matching Fortuyn's was found on his trousers, Plooy said.

A search of his home computer found that he spent hours browsing the Internet under Fortuyn's name. The papers found in van der Graaf's red Toyota included a map of the Media Park in Hilversum, a map of Fortuyn's home in Rotterdam and a list of other members of Fortuyn's party, the prosecutor said.

Sounds like a air-tight case. It says this is a preliminary hearing. About when will
the actual trial start?

[MeekOneGOP]

I think he will get 10-15 years in jail (if they can prove he killed another man maybe 15-20) and then another identity far away from here. I doubt they will release him after 7 or 8 years for good behavior, because it will even after this time generate a large protest.

He will also be held in a special regime, because there is a large chance he will be harmed by other prisoners. And there still is a chance he will commit suicide too.

Wow! That's it? If that had happened here in Texas, he'd be getting the death
penalty. They needled two this week, you know?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Is there popular outrage against the relative brevity of the possible sentance?

[knighthawk]

Yes, if he is mentaly stable that is. Crazy people can be held by the government until they are 'healed'.

It happens to child-rapists and really brutal muderers. After their jail-teerm they undergo forced psychatric treatment until they are healed. It's called TBS and it can be even forever in theory.

But this will not happen in this case.

Check out the mild sentence this guy gets:

Daughter killed for not being a virgin anymore (Holland)

Here we joke that tax-evasion is punished harder than killing some one. Crime pays in the Netherlands.

[knighthawk]

Also police found matching ammo at his house.

In about three months the real trail will start. The guy is toast, his lawyer knows it. The only question that remains is wether he acted alone.

[knighthawk]

Yes and no. People are used to these kind of sentences (15 years is much if you only killed one guy), but a lot of people wished he would be out to death. Recently there was held an investigation to the death penalty, and many people wanted it back.

The Netherlands used to be one of the most tolerant nationa, that is over because of so many people abusing that tolerance.

[hellinahandcart]

I know you don't have the death penalty over there, but you don't even have life imprisonment? Jeez.

[MeekOneGOP]

.....The guy is toast, his lawyer knows it. The only question that remains is
wether he acted alone.

Ah, so history repeats itself, huh? (see below). Do you think he had an
accomplice or not? This article doesn't say (as I recall), so I have no idea.

__________________

From Google Search:

This web site is dedicated to debunking the mass of misinformation and disinformation surrounding the murder of JFK. If you are believer in Oswald as a lone gunman, you are likely to enjoy this web site, since most of that misinformation and disinformation has come from conspiracists. But if you are a sophisticated conspiracist, you likely understand that the mass of silly nonsense in conspiracy books and documentaries does no service to the cause of truth in the assassination, and simply buries the "case for conspiracy" under layers of bunk.

Regardless of what you believe, several web sites, mostly conspiracy-oriented are worth checking out. And you may also want to check out my list of recommended books on the assassination.

What sort of evidence is there?

[knighthawk]

Indeed, the JFK-story.

That is the reason the trail is televised. People believe there was a large conspiracy to kill Fortuyn.

On one of the Fortuyn-forums there is some talk of Illuminatie/Bildenbergers. And that left-winged politicians and the queen (according these people a Bildenberger) ordered the Dutch security service to kill off Fortuyn. Also there is talk that he was killed by al-Qaeda and the suspect was a hitman (even some one said the suspect converted to islam a while ago).

One of their arguments is that the suspect was arrested so quickly and the police reacted so quickly with arrest teams and bullet-proof vests. That is very unusual here.

Personaly I don't think there was a complot.

Although the caliber he used is very rare in Europe, the gun was a Spanish cheap gun. You can buy guns easily on big cities from the criminal circuit. Even the DNA of another man found on the gun could be from a crime not related to the suspect. He could have bought a gun used in a robbery or so, these guns are dumped cheaply in the black curcuit.

There is no evidence yet he acted with help. It's easy to think there was a complot, but there is no way to prove it.

[MeekOneGOP]

Okay, thanks. Sounds like he probably acted alone. Now to find him guilty. We
can only dream of Texas justice, lol !