Justice ministry cover up investigated in backroom deal with drug kingpin

Minister Ard van der Steur ordered the Oosting-committee to re-examine the so-called Teeven-deal. He wants clarity as soon as possible on whether the receipt that showed the exact amounts involved in the deal Fred Teeven made with drug criminal Cees H. was deliberately withheld, NOS reports.

On Tuesday morning the Minister told the broadcaster that he is taking the matter "very seriously". He would not give his opinion about whether there was a cover up, saying that that is up to the Oosting-committee, who did the first investigation into the controversial deal, to determine.

On Monday Nieuwsuur reported that IT staff were ordered by their superiors to stop looking for the receipt. Parliamentarians were shocked by the revelation and the factions want a quick explanation from Van der Steur.

"Now this file gets the appearance of a cover-up. Again new information is on the table", Madeleine van Toorenburgh (CDA) said to RTL Nieuws. GroenLinks lashed out at Van der Steur. "This is the third time that Minister Van der Steur says something, only to later admit that he did not know enough facts. I wonder how he's going to explain this.", Liesbeth van Tongeren said.

D66 leader Alexander Pechtold wants a debate on this matter as soon as possible. He wants to know who exactly ordered the IT staff to stop searching.

The Teeven-deal already led to the resignation of former Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten, State Secretary Fred Teeven and Tweede Kamer President Anouchka van Miltenburg.