Former Jumbo CEO also facing money laundering charge; €448K in cash found at his home

Frits van Eerd, the former CEO of supermarket chain Jumbo, is also being prosecuted for money laundering, the Public Prosecution Service announced on Monday during a preliminary hearing in the Noord-Nederland District Court in Assen. This suspicion is in addition to the charges he faces for corruption and forgery.

In September 2022, the authorities raided Van Eerd's home in Heeswijk-Dinther, Noord-Brabant. During the searches, investigators found cash totalling 448,000 euros. The money was stashed in a private workshop and Van Eerd's office, with some of it found in a refrigerator. The raid was part of an investigation into money laundering centered around former racing driver Theo E. as the main suspect. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the latter committed tax fraud, forgery and non-official corruption.

Van Eerd himself was not present in the courtroom on Monday. Because it was a preliminary hearing, he did not yet intend to provide a substantive statement regarding the allegations, his attorney, Robbert Jonk, explained to the court. According to his lawyer, Van Eerd also wants to avoid media attention for a while. "He will answer all questions substantively."

Jonk emphasized that his client is not an average Dutch person. He was not hoping that court would give Van Eerd preferential treatment, but he does hope that the court will put the amount of cash into perspective. "Whether a certain amount of money should be considered a lot is simply different for the client than for the average Dutchman," said Jonk.

Because it was a preliminary hearing, the defense parties could submit their requests regarding factors for further investigation. Van Eerd's lawyer wants to hear another witness, who is still a suspect in the investigation. The court approved this request. The court did not have to consider a discovery request for access to Van Eerd's interrogations, as the Public Prosecution Service promised to comply with this request.

The attorneys will enter into discussions with the Public Prosecution Service regarding Theo E. to explore procedural agreements. A new preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 27.

Van Eerd's criminal trial will take place in June, should the attorneys handle the process smoothly and find a compromise on procedural issues. The court wants to set aside three hearing days for the trial.