Former parliament president Arib wants to stop investigation into her conduct

The former President of the Tweede Kamer Khadija Arib has taken legal action to halt an investigation into her alleged transgressive behavior during her presidency and prevent the findings from being made public. The current President Vera Bergkmap disclosed this in a letter to the executive board of the Tweede Kamer, responding to inquiries from members of parliament, NOS reported on Monday.

Arib served as the President of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, from 2016 to 2021. Last September, it leaked that the executive board was investigating allegations of transgressive behavior against her based on two anonymous letters. Out of anger and frustration, Arib immediately resigned as a Member of Parliament.

According to Bergkamp, Arib has taken legal action to demand that all information gathered during the investigation into her alleged conduct during her presidency be deleted and destroyed. She also wants compensation for any damages she suffered due to the investigation. Bergkamp expressed regret that Arib has chosen to challenge the investigation legally rather than cooperating with it, although she acknowledged Arib's right to take this course of action.

Bergkamp also noted in her letter that she understands concerns about the duration of the investigation and admitted that a quicker resolution would have been in everyone's best interest. She added that the investigation, while nearly complete, has now been delayed due to Arib's legal action.

Arib's lawyers, Geert-Jan and Carry Knoops, expressed regret that the matter has become public. They stated in a reaction in de Volkskrant that Arib initiated legal action as early as mid-June "to hold certain individuals accountable for launching an unlawful investigation against her."

According to the lawyers, the case depends not only on the liability of the Dutch State but also on whether the executive board of the Tweede Kamer itself can be held responsible for authorizing the investigation. They told the newspaper that the facts of the case have been misrepresented in Bergkamp's letter.