Former alderman was sober during A'dam city hall arrest, blood test shows

By Janene Pieters on August 14, 2019 - 12:00
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Amsterdam's city hall the Stopera (Photo: MichielverbeekNL/Wikimedia Commons). (Amsterdam's city hall the Stopera (Photo: MichielverbeekNL/Wikimedia Commons))

Former Diemen alderman Jorrit Nuijens was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he was arrested at the Amsterdam city hall on June 20th, according to a blood test done by the police. Nuijens posted a photo of the police letter stating that no punishable substances were found in his blood on Twitter. A spokesperson for the police confirmed to NU.nl that the letter is authentic.

Nuijens, 39, was arrested at the Amsterdam city hall for "disrupting public order". According to the police, he was screaming and shouting on a terrace and broke a glass there. He was also accused of spitting on police officers and fiercely resisting arrest.

The police found a bottle with what they believed contained GHB and two small bags of cannabis in the alderman's bag. This discovery, combined with his behavior, gave rise to the suspicion that Nuijens was under the influence of drugs. He resigned as alderman after his arrest, though he said that reports of his arrest contained "a number of untruths". 

The former alderman's blood was tested for alcohol, cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. These substances have been shown to have an inhibitory influence and to increase the chance of violence, according to the newspaper. If a suspect tests positive for these substances, the Prosecutor can demand a harsher penalty against them.

The Public Prosecution Service is currently considering charges against Nuijens, a spokesperson said to NU.nl. 

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