Rotterdam council sacks building officials over corrupt payments

Two civil servants in Rotterdam have been fired due to corruption allegations after an investigation uncovered serious fraud involving gifts from contractors working on city building projects. Prosecutors revealed that 11 individuals and six companies were implicated in the inquiry. One of the dismissed officials, a project manager, allegedly used a company he established for supporting young footballers as a "slush fund" to funnel payments to a building firm involved in cultural renovations.

After retiring early, he became the subject of a fraud investigation by the prosecution service, which accused him and another colleague of accepting bribes and forging documents. A third colleague was also dismissed in connection with the criminal probe. Authorities conducted searches at multiple residences and business locations, including the home of one of the civil servants who worked in the City Development department.

One of the projects under investigation was the asbestos removal from the Boijmans van Beuningen museum, where the awarded company, A van Liempd, submitted inflated estimates based on assumptions that proved inaccurate. An earlier NRC investigation had found the council had paid €3 million more than necessary for this project.