Former police chief under investigation

Gerard Bouman, former Chief of the National Police, is under an investigation aimed at finding out whether he was involved in expense irregularities in the police's central works council (CWC), the Gelderlander repoprts based on information from insiders.

Current police chief Erik Akerboom will present the resuts of an investigation into the CWC's spendings. But it is already known that "significant irregularities" were discovered, as Akerboom announced he is pressing charges two weeks ago. It is expected that Akerboom will anounce furthe investigations into how police money could be spent with no limits.

Chairman of the CWC Frank Giltay resigned as soon as the investigation was launched. According to the Gelderlander, he used police money to buy suits, have dinner at the expensive Amstel Hotel and for pleasure trips to Curacao.

According to the newspaper, one of these new investigations is centered on Gerard Bouman, who stepped down and Chief of Police in March. He was responsible for the CWC's expenses and approved them as well. He also gave the CWC a disproportionately high budget of 1.6 million euros per year.

Within the police circles peope suggest that Bouman used the large budgett to bribe the CWC to agree to tough decisions, according to the newspaper. Many unpopular decisions were made during the reorganziation into the national police, and some of these decisions were made by Bouman and Giltay over dinner, the Gelderlander says.