The defence in the trial of suspected drug lord Nordin E. H. objected on Thursday at the Tongeren Criminal Court to the defendant having to appear before a three-member panel of judges.
Nordin E. H., reportedly the mastermind behind a vast cocaine trafficking operation, was one of 14 defendants facing preliminary hearings scheduled for Thursday. Other suspects included a Dutch estate agent, a retired professional footballer and a father-and-son duo from Antwerp’s dockyards.
The case had been opened following the decoding of the Sky ECC communication network. Investigations began in 2021, with around 15 searches leading to the confiscation of weapons and vehicles.
Ralph H., an estate agent, allegedly managed drug shipments to and from the port, and oversaw the sale and distribution of the narcotics.
The prosecution estimates that at least 1.3 tonnes of drugs were imported, with the proceeds of the enterprise exceeding €50 million.
The Dutchman apparently acted with the support of a septuagenarian from Genk and his son while former footballer Davide D. 41, is suspected of renting a warehouse for temporary cocaine storage.
On Thursday, David Dendoncker, Nordin E.H.’s lawyer, objected to the case’s handling by a three-judge panel.
Dendoncker claimed that the decision to delegate the case to the judicial tribunal was nowhere on record in the case files. Additionally, he argued that a three-judge panel ran counter to European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence.
The president of the court will now have to consider redirecting the case to another chamber.
