The Antwerp Court of Appeal has dismissed five recusal requests made by Nordin E.H., also known as 'Dikke Nordin' (Fat Nordin), clearing the way for his drug-trafficking trial to resume.
Nordin had sought the recusal of three judges from the Antwerp Criminal Court, accusing them of bias after they refused to consolidate six cases in which he is being prosecuted.
The Court of Appeal found no new evidence or previously unknown facts to support the claims. “The court therefore declares the recusal requests unfounded, as there is no proof that the judges in question would be unable to deliver independent and impartial rulings.”
Last month, Nordin’s defence team filed recusal requests in five drug trafficking cases, arguing that the refusal to combine the cases compromised the judges’ impartiality.
After the judges declined to step aside voluntarily, the Court of Appeal had to decide on the matter. Its ruling can still be challenged before the Court of Cassation.
