The Hague City Councilor Richard Demos not guilty of corruption

Richard Demos, leader of the largest political party in The Hague City Council, has been acquitted in a case that began three and a half years ago. .

The court said more than €100,000 in party donations were made by the five businessmen on trial, and Demos received €270 in personal gifts, mostly in the form of dining out and boat trips. However, the court said there was no evidence that the businessman had “malicious intentions” in making the donation.

The judge said, “No matter how well-meaning it may be, it is impossible to establish how much, if any, the status of Demos and his colleagues was improved by the party’s donations.”

Prosecutors, who had argued that De Mos should be jailed for 22 months, argued that business leaders were rewarded with preferential treatment by De Mos as a councilor and alderman.

The party, which won eight out of 45 seats in local elections last year, was excluded from coalition talks, partly due to a corruption probe that has been in place since 2019.

De Mos and his colleague, Rachid Guernaoui, one of six co-defendants, have been elected as alderman (administrative) of the coalition that runs the council after the 2018 elections with Groep de Mos as the primary party. officer) was appointed. Other political parties withdrew their support after police raided his Groep de Mos office and De Mos home in October 2019, forcing the two men to resign.

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Photo: Group Demos