Member of Parliament Limburg resigns from integrity committee, wants to send signal

MP Dré Peters of Local Limburg has resigned from the province's integrity committee. He did this to send a "signal," he confirmed after reporting from De Limburger. Peters believes he cannot do his job well as a Member of Parliament in possible integrity cases such as the so-called California deal.

A former director of the land development company California BV is said to have purchased land a few years ago with financial inside information. The province of Limburg is an indirect shareholder in the company. However, the results of an external investigation into the deal are secret. The Limburg Provincial Executive, therefore, said that it has no control over the investigation.

Peters believes that the council is not handling this well. "This file has been there for years, and it keeps being pushed forward. I am trying to make this file transparent, but it is not working." Without information he cannot carry out his supervisory task as a member of Parliament, he claimed. Local Limburg, the PVV and JA21, recently spoke of a "cover-up." The parties want a public debate. "But if I don't receive any documents, I can't schedule a debate," Peters said.

The Limburg Board of Provincial Executive resigned in 2021 following an integrity case. Researchers later stated that the Limburg administrative culture certainly has a negative image. The aim of the integrity committee is to increase knowledge about integrity among Provincial Councils and to promote ethical conduct among Members of Parliament themselves. Peters hopes that his departure will "set something in motion. Let's deal with each other more transparently."

The Presidium of the Provincial Council recently decided to seek legal advice about its role in the California case. The parties want to gain insight into "what is possible to discuss publicly in debate."

"I absolutely do not recognize Mr. Peters' comments," said King's Commissioner Emile Roemer. "Everything that can be made public is public. We have to adhere to the law. The Board, just like the States, wants to get to the bottom of the matter, in all transparency."