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No further investigation after princess Margarita's complaint

News item | 01-09-2003

Former prime minister Wim Kok and ex-ministers Klaas de Vries (Interior) and Benk Korthals (Justice) are not to be prosecuted following the complaint made by Princess Margarita and her husband Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn.

Justice minister Piet Hein Donner sent a letter to this effect to parliament today. The Princess and her husband filed a complaint on 10 March against the three ex-ministers, a number of civil servants and others. The charges against Kok, De Vries and Korthals were forgery and breach of the duty of confidentiality.

Forgery
Despite the fact that the couple were informed by letter - it later emerged incorrectly - that the government had not ordered an investigation into their affairs (at least, those of Mr De Roy van Zuydewijn) the Public Prosecution Service has no grounds for believing that the ex-ministers made deliberately false statements in this connection. As a result, there are no suspicions that they committed forgery.

Confidentiality
The complaint regarding the breach of the duty of confidentiality related to the fact that the former National Security Service (BVD) had submitted the results of its investigation to the director of the Office of Her Majesty the Queen. However, according to the Public Prosecution Service, the BVD was empowered to do this. Since supplying this information did not constitute a breach of the duty of confidentiality, and what is more occurred without the knowledge of the minister concerned, the Public Prosecution Service concludes that the ex-ministers cannot be accused of this offence.

Civil servants
The Minister of Justice states in his letter that the Public Prosecution Service sees no grounds for bringing charges against the other persons named in the complaint. He himself shares this view.

See also:
24 apr 2003
Balkenende: 'Parliament was correctly informed'