Tom Bastiaanse does not ask a cassation appeal against rejecting wreck request in case-costa
© Belga
Tom Bastiaanse has decided not to appeal against the decision of the Antwerp Court of Appeal to reject his request for revenge. His lawyer Dimitri de Béco reports this.
Master de Béco resigned three weeks ago to the judges in the Costa case. He had asked them if he could argue later on the trial, because on the same day he also had to make his plea on an assize process. Moreover, he could not have consulted with Bastian, because it had only just been extradited from Spain.
The judges refused to give him a delay. The lawyer thought that the judges made it impossible for him to defend Bastian and had the impression that they could no longer judge impartial and independent. The judges refused to withdraw voluntarily, making it to the Antwerp Court of Appeal to judge whether or not they could stay on.
The Court of Appeal decided on Monday to reject the request for revenue. After the start of the trial in October 2023, Bastiaanse had cut his ankle strap and had gone to Spain, without giving his lawyer instructions. He himself was responsible for being extradited shortly before the handling of the case and could contact his lawyer, it sounded. According to the Court, the fact that the judges had refused the requested delay did not mean that they could no longer judge independently and impartial. The Court of Appeal decided not to impose Bastiaan’s fine, because no abuse of law was determined when submitting the request for wrecking.
Tom Bastiaanse was able to appeal against the judgment, but has decided not to do that. « He expects the Court of Cassation to confirm this decision and he is satisfied that the Court of Appeal at least acknowledged that his request for wrecking was based on valid arguments and he did not commit legal abuse. He no longer wants the case to drag on, that has never been his intention, » says lawyer Dimitri De Béco.
It is not yet clear when the process costa will continue in Tongeren.
