Friday, 20 March 2015 - 08:50
Ousted Justice Sec. Fred Teeven to return as MP
Former State Secretary of Security and Justice Fred Teeven is returning to the Tweede Kamer - lower house of Parliament. He will be taking the place of Ard van der Steur, who is replacing former Minister Ivo Opstelten as Minister of Security and Justice, RTL reports.
The two VVD Justice officials resigned early this month over a deal that Teeven made with drug criminal Cees H. while he was still a prosecutor. Early this month Nieuwsuur revealed that the deal between the Public Prosecutor and Cees H. involved 4.7 million guilders, instead of the 1.25 million guilders that Opstelten informed the Tweede Kamer about. An IT company was also able to find a receipt for the deal within two days. Opstelten had told the Tweede Kamer that the receipt was untraceable. Teeven resigned in solidarity with Opstelten, but he believes that the deal is absolutely defensible and did not agree with the minister's resignation.
Teeven was previously rumored to return to the Tweede Kamer, but in the position held by resigned VVD parliamentarian Mark Verheijen. It is not yet clear who will be the new Secretary of State for Security and Justice.