Limburg cops on trial for abuse of power say they were framed; Prison time sought

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) recommended a year and a half in prison with six months of the sentence conditionally suspended, against four local police officers from Limburg on Tuesday at the court in Breda. The officers are accused of abuse of power, perjury, illegal entry, and computer fraud breaches between 2017 and 2019.

The four suspects, a woman (48) and three men (36, 47, and 52), worked with the police team of Horst/Peel and Maas, in Noord-Limburg.

"Law enforcement officers have a role model function," the prosecutor said. "If they cross the line, the response must be clear and appropriate.” The suspects not only abused their authority systematically, but they also are guilty of intimidating residents who were in a vulnerable position, prosecutors argued. The four on trial were exerted power and authority when they were not allowed to do so, the OM said.

The youngest suspect was given the highest possible punishment recommendation, he is also the only one to be accused of computer fraud violations. Jaap W. allegedly searched for info about several Dutch celebrities in the police system, including Dries Roelvink, Andre Hazes, Ferry Doedens, and Rene van der Gijp.

Prosecutors recommended 16 months in prison against 47-year-old Nico O., with six months of the sentence conditionally suspended. Erwin van der B. heard a recommendation of a year in prison, with half of the sentence conditionally suspended.

The OM recommended eight months in jail against Nicole C., with half of the sentence conditionally suspended. The recommendations were a little lower than expected because it had taken almost six years before the case reached the court.

The officers allegedly searched a home without permission in the search for a cannabis farm, something that the suspects deny. “There were always draws and cupboards open with this group,” one colleague said about the suspects. Another stated that things were written down differently than they had happened. "I got the idea that they had gone overboard and were free of rules."

Colleagues also said that the suspects would make reports in the anonymous crime report system. In a Whatsapp group one of them said: “I will make a report at MMA (Meld Misdaad Anoniem) and then we can make a visit next week.” This has also been denied by the suspects.

In another case, a bag with hemp was allegedly found before permission was given to search the house. "That sports bag full of hemp, well, we will have to lie about that one,” one of the suspects later sent in a group app.

The suspects deny breaking the rules. One of them said that they were being “broken” by the case. During the hearing, the four also repeatedly referred to "context-driven work", in which matters were recorded minimally for the sake of speed and efficiency.

However, according to the prosecutor, this approach never involved an order to break the rules. "The results were good, the figures were excellent," she said. "But underneath that was a questionable method of working that crossed the boundaries of the unacceptable."

The suspected crimes were first reported in 2019. The OM had to stop their prosecution in 10 criminal cases. The four suspects do not work for the police anymore. A fifth agent was not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday with the arguments from the attorneys.