Committee: Justice Ministry incapable of covering up Teeven-deal receipt

There is no evidence that Ministry of Security and Justice officials deliberately tried to cover up the receipt showing exact amounts involved in the deal then prosecutor Fred Teeven made with drug criminal Cees H., the Oosting committee concludes in its second investigation into the so-called Teeven-deal, NU.nl reports. 

The reason for the second investigation were reports in January 2016 that superiors in the Ministry stopped the IT staff in their search for the receipt. That seemed to indicate that top officials in the Ministry tried to cover up the amounts involved in the controversial deal.

But according to the committee, this does not seem to be the case. "Such a situation implies at least the organizational capacity and the administrative power to effectively cover up the business and to keep it covered up. And also to - for that purpose and unlike what happened in this case - keep the circle of those involved as small as possible", the committee writes, concluding that the Ministry was in this case, incapable of such a cover up.

The committee adds that the Ministry of Security and Justice showed a "lack of resolve and unity" in this whole affair. And that complete lack of "clear, unequivocal and strong direction, coordination and communication" among top officials eventually led to the resignation of Minister Ivo Opstelten and State Secretary Fred Teeven, according to NU.nl. The researchers wonder whether these issues are not more serious than a possible cover up.