Aachboun, who did not appear in court in Amsterdam on Tuesday, faces a demand for 200 hours of community service for allegedly blackmailing television presenter Johnny de Mol. Aachboun sent a letter on behalf of Kaes to De Mol and his parents, John de Mol and Willeke Alberti, claiming it was a settlement request. However, the De Mol family interpreted it differently.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) described the letter as “a classic attempt at blackmail” during the court proceedings. The prosecution argued that Aachboun, given his legal background, could have phrased a settlement request more appropriately. “If there would have been damage suffered by Kaes, this should have been named with the mention of an amount of compensation,” the prosecutor stated. They alleged that Aachboun’s wording was deliberately misleading to allow him to deny any wrongdoing.
Additional Charges
The letter also excluded the involvement of lawyers, which the prosecution claimed was an indication of Aachboun’s intent. “He acted indecently and dishonorably,” the prosecutor added. De Mol’s lawyer, Peter Plasman, indicated that his client does not seek compensation but hopes for “a hefty suspended sentence.”
On the same day, the court addressed a second case against Aachboun, brought by lawyer Diekstra, who previously worked for the Ministry of Defense. Aachboun had accused Diekstra of groping a female colleague during his tenure at Defense. Although Aachboun initially assisted the woman in reporting the incident, he later retracted the accusation, leading Diekstra to file a libel and slander complaint against him.
The prosecution argued that Aachboun’s actions tarnished Diekstra’s honor and reputation, particularly as he works as a victim lawyer assisting victims of sexual abuse. Aachboun had made accusations against Diekstra on social media, urging his followers to share the posts widely. The prosecution contended that this behavior could not be seen as a defense of his client and noted that Aachboun did not allow Diekstra a chance to respond to the allegations. “His goal was to blacken Diekstra,” the prosecution asserted.
While the prosecution acknowledged that Aachboun has no prior criminal record, they noted his failure to take responsibility, particularly after missing two substantive hearings. Aachboun’s lawyer read a statement in court denying the charges, claiming that the declarants’ story was followed blindly. “I only wanted to help two women,” he stated.
Ad Aerts, a colleague of Aachboun who co-signed the letter to the De Mol family, is also facing prosecution. His case will be addressed at a later date. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on October 7.
