Two arrested in theft of €224k from political party
Police in Noord Holland arrested two people suspected of embezzling €224,000 from political party Leefbaar Amsterdam. Investigators carried out searches "in several places in Amsterdam," police said on Thursday.
The two suspects have only been identified as "Mr. Van der V." and "Ms. B." Along with embezzlement claims they also face allegations of theft, forgery and money laundering.
The money was in an account belonging to the non-profit organization, Stichting Leefbaar Amsterdam '92, which funds the group's representation on city council between 2002 and 2006.
Portion of a Leefbaar Amsterdam flyer for the 2014 election
Though the investigation is ongoing, police released the two suspects. The right-wing, anti-immigrant party has not held a seat on Amsterdam's City Council in seven years. They list eight candidates on their website for the March 2014 municipal elections.