MPs go after Finance Min. on ABN Amro pay hike scandal

The Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, has many questions about the salary increases at ABN Amro and how Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem of Finance let it go so far, NOS reports. According to political reporter Dominique van der Heyde, the main question seems to be why Dijsselbloem did not say anything about the major pay increases for the ANB Amro executives when the increase was undertaken last year. According to a ABN Amro letter, on Marc 7th last year, Dijsselbloem approved the increase and promised to publicly defend it. According to Van der Heyde, it is possible that Dijsselbloem could do nothing about the increase, but he could have informed the Tweede Kamer about it when he found out. In a letter to the Tweede Kamer yesterday Dijsselbloem wrote that the salary increase is legally and administratively permitted, but is "hard to justify in a social context", NRC reports. In the letter Dijsselbloem answers a few questions that were asked by the Tweede Kamer. He also reiterated that he is sticking to the position he took in the question time last week to publicly defend the increase.