OM puts research committee Secretly down for possible malfeasance

That makes the prosecution announced Wednesday.

If a party leader has actually leaked from the secret parliamentary committee to NRC Handelsblad, has been a malfeasance and there is a high penalty come to stand up.

The Constitution requires the commission to prosecute an MP only by the government or the House can be given. Therefore it plays OM refer the case to Lower House President Anouchka van Miltenburg.

Serious and unique

"This is a serious and unique case," Van Miltenburg said in a brief explanation. She calls the presidium meeting Thursday morning to decide what should happen next. According to her, therefore "of the utmost importance that we and carefully weighed decisions. ''

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a first reaction that he first wants to study the facts. "I feel it is really a matter for the House. I am very reluctant to respond, '' said Rutte.

The commission Secretly discuss the chairmen state secret affairs with the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the AIVD) or the Minister of Defence (responsible for the DISS).

Various groups do not respond to the possible leakage of one or more of their colleagues. In any case, Halbe Zijlstra (VVD), Sybrand Buma (CDA) and Alexander Pechtold (D66) kept quiet. Other group leaders are still failing to address a request for comment.

The declaration of violating the confidentiality of a private meeting of the CIVD came according to the public in on March 13 this year.

Phone Taps

It is the issue on which NRC Handelsblad published eighteen months ago. The newspaper reported that Dutch intelligence services 1.8 million Belgian data were provided to the Netherlands to the United States. After this was commotion in parliament.

MPs claimed not to be aware of the issue and Minister Ronald Plasterk of the Interior would have informed the Chamber incorrectly. Later it turned out that it had informed the Chamber Plasterk, through the commission Secretly. But that data is confidential.

The issue brought Plasterk earlier last year in political problems. He barely survived a no-confidence motion in the House which was supported by a large part of the opposition.

VVD faction leader Halbe Zijlstra would have done leaks as chairman of the committee report.

Research

The Public Prosecutor then initiated the investigation.

'' The Department will then have done under the supervision of the prosecution investigation. This Belgian data among other members of the CIVD are examined and some people heard. The Department also has no phones tapped, emphasizes the prosecution.

'' Having got one or more members of the CIVD in picture regarding the possible leak of information, the investigation by the National Police has been stopped. Since this concerns a possible professional misconduct by a member of the House, the OM no power to do further research, as laid down in Article 119 of the Constitution. ''

Presidium

The presidium of parliament is formed by the president and vice-presidents and has the daily management of the House.

Besides Chamber President Van Miltenburg and Registrar Renata Voss are the VVD Ton Elias and Tamara van Ark, the SP Euro-MP Ronald van Raak, Stientje van Veldhoven (D66), Khadija Arib (PvdA), Martin Bosma (PVV) and Raymond Knops ( CDA) in the presidium.

By: © Reuters / NU.nl