National security leak investigation could take months

The investigation into the leak from the committee for the intelligence and security services could take up to three months. By February 3rd next year, the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, has to decide whether one or more parliamentarians will be prosecuted. This is according to a letter Kamer president Anouchka van Miltenburg sent to the Tweede Kamer. A committee will be established to handle the investigation. Every party represented in the Presidium has to nominate a representative with a legal background. The parties are the VVD, PvdA, PVV, SP CDA, D66, ChristenUnie and SGP. This committee will have the same powers as a parliamentary committee of inquiry. According to broadcaster NOS, this means that witnesses will be required to appear and answer questions under oath. The Presidium emphasized that seeing that this situation is so new to the Kamer, the committee will regularly consult the Public Prosecutor and the Board of Procurators-General to make sure the investigation complies with all legal requirements. The Presidium also advised the prospective committee members to make the Public Prosecutor's investigation more anonymous - for example, they will get the phone records, but not the name of the party leader who made the calls - "in the interest of objectivity". It is not clear how many of the party leaders will be the subject of this investigation, there is talk of "one or more" party leaders. According to BNR reporter Jaap Jansen, the talk in the parliamentary halls is that two party leaders are involved.