Tuesday, 3 December 2013 - 16:12
Prison for ex-VVD MP
Former VVD deputy Ton Hooijmaijers was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The 52-year-old former deputy of the province of North Holland was on trial for corruption, money laundering, and forgery.The court came to a lower sentence, than the initial 4 years demanded, because Hooijmaijers was acquitted of prosecution on a single point. The court also took into account the huge media coverage of the case. The former deputy always denied being guilty of any crime and calls the case a '' political settlement " and a '' smear campaign ".
Rechtbank-haarlem
Joep Zander
Wikimedia commons The former official accepted money from companies that wanted to do business with the province, according to the court. He would make promises to entrepreneurs, and was paid by fake invoices. The money would be routed to his company, Move Consultants, which was in his wife's name. Hooijmaijers harmed the confidence in public administration and an honest government, according to the judge. The judge also condemned his profit-driven approach and the fact that Hooijmaijers at no point, during the trial, seemed to show any remorse. The Public Prosecutor ( OM ) is satisfied with the verdict, even though the penalty imposed is one year lower than demanded. '' It's still a hefty prison sentence , which is in line with the sentencing , " according to press prosecutor Michiel Zwinkels Tuesday.'' Hooijmaijers was acquitted of one of the five corruption cases, resulting in the lower sentence. Immediately after the trial Ton Hooijmaijers announced he will appeal his conviction by the court in Haarlem. There has been a miscarriage of justice, according to Hooijmaijers, who hopes he will have better luck with an appeal, after the setback with the court in Haarlem.
Joep Zander
Wikimedia commons The former official accepted money from companies that wanted to do business with the province, according to the court. He would make promises to entrepreneurs, and was paid by fake invoices. The money would be routed to his company, Move Consultants, which was in his wife's name. Hooijmaijers harmed the confidence in public administration and an honest government, according to the judge. The judge also condemned his profit-driven approach and the fact that Hooijmaijers at no point, during the trial, seemed to show any remorse. The Public Prosecutor ( OM ) is satisfied with the verdict, even though the penalty imposed is one year lower than demanded. '' It's still a hefty prison sentence , which is in line with the sentencing , " according to press prosecutor Michiel Zwinkels Tuesday.'' Hooijmaijers was acquitted of one of the five corruption cases, resulting in the lower sentence. Immediately after the trial Ton Hooijmaijers announced he will appeal his conviction by the court in Haarlem. There has been a miscarriage of justice, according to Hooijmaijers, who hopes he will have better luck with an appeal, after the setback with the court in Haarlem.
