1 February 2008

NEW YORK - Joran van der Sloot has nothing to fear from the revelations on the Natalee Holloway case that crime reporter Peter R. de Vries plans to make in his programme on Sunday. Van der Sloot's American lawyer Joe Tacopina said this to Fox News on Thursday evening.

"I've talked with Joran. I've talked with his parents. They have spoken with the Aruban public prosecutor Hans Mos. There is no concern that this will lead to a revelation which would point the finger at Joran van der Sloot," the lawyer said on the programme On the Wire. "Their confidence is not wavering whatsoever."

Tacopina slammed public prosecutor Mos for his comments on new evidence in the case of the missing American teenager."I think the prosecutor on Aruba should concentrate more on investigation than issuing ridiculous press communiqués like this," the lawyer said.

Tacopina says the prosecutor has had the "new evidence," reportedly camera tapes from De Vries, for more than a week and is still not certain if they are a breakthrough in the case. "The reason he released a press statement today is because De Vries said on his website that the tapes would be shown on his programme," the lawyer said.

 Although the lawyer admits that he himself has not seen or heard the tapes from De Vries, he is convinced that they will not be damaging to his client.

"There is nothing that can come out on Sunday's broadcast that can convince myself, my investigators or anyone who knows anything about the case that Joran had something to do with Natalee's disappearance."

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2008]

Subject: Dutch news