The Amsterdam Court of Appeal sees no reason to release Quincy Promes for the time being. The footballer said in court on Tuesday that he has no intention of fleeing, but that is not believed.
Promes requested the court to release him again or suspend his detention. That way he could play football again to earn money.
According to his lawyer Cem Polat, Promes can play football again in Dubai or Latvia. That would be necessary, because his client’s millions that have been seized are invested in real estate. Promes wants to play football again to provide food for his children.
The court did not have to worry that Promes would flee, according to Polat, “because that would actually be a middle finger towards his own children”.
But the court noted that there is still a risk of flight, pointing to recent statements by Promes in the media. In it, he said he still wants to return to Russia. A country with which the Netherlands has no extradition treaty.
Promes reiterated his innocence
It is the main reason that Promes had ever appeared in a courtroom until Tuesday. He was previously sentenced to a total of 7.5 years in prison for stabbing his cousin and drug smuggling. He appealed against both convictions. He also reiterated his innocence on Tuesday.
When asked by the court whether Promes intends to testify at the hearing, he replied that he is not yet sure. He wants to discuss this with his lawyer first.
Promes was arrested in Dubai in early 2024 when he was there with his then club Spartak Moscow on a training camp. More than a year later, he was extradited to the Netherlands. On Tuesday he appeared in the courtroom for the first time for the preliminary hearing.
At the end of the afternoon, the court decided that Promes must remain in custody at least until the next hearing. The date of that hearing is not yet known.