Willem Holleerder was not involved in the blackmailing of property tycoon Rolf Friedländer, according to the suspected crime boss himself on the first day of his trial on Monday.

Holleeder says he merely warned Friedländer of a plan to murder his son. Tuesday’s Volkskrant reports Holleerder as saying: ‘If they (the plotters) had found out, I would not have been here.’
Holleeder and a number of co-defendants are in court on four charges of blackmail. Two of the alleged victims have been murdered.
According to the public prosecutor, Holleerder paid two visits to Friedländer. The first was to warn him of the danger to his son and to tell him the situation could be solved by money. When no money was paid, he made a second visit to threaten Friedländer’s family if the money was not forthcoming.
Holleeder told the court he did make two visits: to warn Friedländer about the murder plot and to bring him a gift from property tycoon Willem Endstra. Enstra was shot dead in 2004. Friedländer denies being blackmailed and handing over money.
The case continues today.