Former employee Dutch Ministry of Defense arrested on corruption charges
The independent investigative body Rijksrecherche in the Netherlands has arrested a 58-year-old man from Rotterdam on corruption charges. The arrest was made on Monday afternoon 12 May at Schiphol Airport. The suspect is a former civil servant of the Dutch Ministry of Defense who in his profession was responsible for international purchase contracts.
The man is suspected of having taken bribes in 2023 regarding the awarding of purchase contracts, together with others partly outside the Netherlands. At this time he was working for the Dutch Ministry of Defense. After a tip from abroad the Rijksrecherche started an investigation in 2024, led by the National Office of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service. This investigation has led to the arrest of the suspect at Schiphol Airport. Shortly after the arrest two other Dutch suspects were arrested. These suspects are no (former) civil servants.
The three suspects have been placed under restrictions and they can only maintain contact with their lawyers. They will be brought before the examining magistrate on Thursday 15 May. Because of the interests of the investigation there is currently no further information available.