Portrait
Lawyer Vito Shukrula (36) wears a Rolex because his clients want him to
Saskia Belleman and John van den Heuvel

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AMSTERDAM - He wears a Rolex "because his clients want him to", is crazy about suits and was named by his father after mafia boss Vito Corleone, alias The Godfather. Vito Shukrula (36) is considered an outsider in the criminal defense profession. He was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of participating in a criminal organization.

Vito Shukrula is considered an outsider in the criminal defense profession.
© ANP / HH

Vito Shukrula is considered an outsider in the criminal defense profession.

As a 23-year-old law student, Shukrula irritated Heineken kidnapper Willem Holleeder when he confronted him in a controversial episode of College Tour

with the suspicion that Holleeder was behind multiple liquidations. In a double interview with NRC, MP Ulysse Ellian (VVD) and Shukrula discussed the dangers of Ridouan Taghi. "I do not defend crown witnesses. Out of self-interest. Sorry, because I do not want to die and neither does my family," said Shukrula, whose sister Shona is a soccer referee for FIFA and a public prosecutor.

Vito Shukrula became a criminal defense lawyer
Vito Shukrula was born in Amsterdam and grew up in Alkmaar. He studied law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, where he subsequently specialized in criminal law.

On his firm's website, he reports what motivated him to become a criminal defense lawyer. "Not having equal opportunities can lead to people making wrong decisions and going down the wrong path. There can also be circumstances that cause you to end up in difficult situations and come into contact with the police and the judiciary. I believe that people in such situations have the right to good support and I am happy to provide that to them," says Shukrula.

Video: Another lawyer for Taghi arrested: 'This is striking

Another lawyer for Ridouan Taghi arrested: Vito Shukrula suspected of participation in a criminal organization
On Thursday, a special police team arrested Shukrula. According to the Public Prosecution Service, he is guilty of participation in a criminal organization. The suspicions against Shukrula are 'very serious', sources close to the investigation confirm. The arrest of Vito Shukrula is part of a large police operation that started on Thursday morning. House searches were carried out during that operation.

Lawyer for Ridouan Taghi
Shukrula became Ridouan Taghi's lawyer in 2024, together with Carlo Crince le Roy. They are assisting Taghi, who had great difficulty finding a new lawyer, in the appeal. Vito Shukrula is already the third lawyer of Taghi who, in the eyes of the judiciary, is part of a criminal organization.

The substantive hearing of this case at the court of appeal has yet to begin. During a preliminary hearing in December 2024, Shukrula and Cronce le Roy threatened to resign from the defense. They took revenge on the members of the Court because they were not given sixteen months of preparation time to read the file. When the recusal was rejected, they nevertheless remained as Taghi's lawyer.