A Dutch court examined evidence on Tuesday including video footage and telephone text messages that prosecutors say link two suspects to the fatal shooting of crime reporter Peter R de Vries.
Prosecutors suspect a 21-year-old Dutchman identified only as Delano G of shooting De Vries at close range in an Amsterdam street on July 6 last year.
The campaigning reporter and television personality died nine days later of his injuries. If convicted, the suspect faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
A judge in the hearing directly asked G if he shot Mr de Vries, to which the suspect replied: “I make use of my right to silence,” according to footage recorded by Dutch broadcaster NOS. The other suspect said: “I did not kill that man.”
Prosecutors say the two suspects were arrested less than an hour after the shooting in a getaway car on a road near The Hague with the weapon used to shoot Mr de Vries in the car.
G has refused to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the shooting. The alleged getaway driver, a Polish man, Kamil E, on Tuesday denied involvement in the shooting.
Prosecutors have not publicly identified a suspect they believe gave the order to kill Mr de Vries, who was 64 when he was killed.
Lawyers for the suspects are scheduled to speak at a separate hearing next week. Judges are scheduled to deliver verdicts on July 14.
