Family of TV mogul extortionist: "it's a mystery"

Family members of Dirk Klaas M. have no idea why he extorted John and Linda de Mol. "For us it is a mystery."

M. was arrested in his apartment in Zeist on Wednesday. He confessed to sending threatening letters to the De Mol family since last year October. According to De Telegraaf, he demanded millions of euros in the threatening letters that he delivered to Linda and John de Mol.

Two close family members of M. could not give much information on what happened. "We really don't know why he did this. For us it is a mystery and a family drama. If we knew, we would not be in the hell we are now." family members said to AD.

What we do know about M. is that he is married to a 72 year old woman and has children and grandchildren. The image we have about M. is that he is an ordinary, nice man who was a successful entrepreneur and business man. In the past M. had a management position at BNP Paribas. He then owned a pharmacy in Laren in the 80's.

Dick, a flower seller who knew M. when he owned the pharmacy, can not believe that M. is the man who extorted the De Mol family. "Dirk? A blackmailer?" says Dick. "That can not be true. Then there must surely be something wrong in his head. No, I really can not believe that he has done something like this. They are very nice people. We often chatted. Colleagues together." M. bought the pharmacy across the street from where Dick sells his flowers in 1981 and sold it again 11 years later, according to information from the Land Registry. According to Dick, M. did good business back then. "He bought the property for a few tons and was able to sell it for more than 2 million. He really did not have to work anymore."

In 1987 M. opened a second pharmacy in Hoofdorpweg in Amsterdam. That business was sold again in 1991. M. and his wife lived in a spacious bungalow on Sparrenlaan in Huizen, only 800 meters from the villa that Linda de Mol bought in 1999. Chances are that Linda visited M.'s pharmacy in Laren, but the De Mol family has stated that M. is a stranger to them. On Friday crime reporter Peter R. de Vries stated that M. had "an impeccable track record in the financial world".

According to De Telegraaf, M. received a generous salary before he retired. He did not seem to have any problems. M. and his wife were regularly seen in upscale fashion boutiques in the region or driving around in his Audi A6. RTL Nieuws reports that people in the neighborhood told the newspaper that hey may have gotten into trouble due to living above his means in recent years.