D66 and JA21 insist that an external independent investigation is also carried out. “We have no doubts about the course of events, but with an external investigation you can remove all doubt and uncertainty,” says Henk Pragt on behalf of D66.
“This is a case of toilet duck”, Frank Duut of JA21 adds. “We like to believe the conclusions of the province. If nothing out of the ordinary has happened, why would you be against it?” Party for the Animals and the SP also argue for an external investigation.
That investigation is not going to happen. The five parties that also form the provincial government do not like it. After reading the conclusions of the internal investigation, they see no reason to follow up. “The province has already gone through a lot of dust,” says Henk Post of the ChristenUnie. “An expensive lesson has been learned. We don’t need to spend any more time and money on this. We won’t get the money back.”
Incidentally, the coalition parties also receive support from part of the opposition in this regard. For example, Sterk Lokaal sees nothing in an external investigation, just like the PVV. Nico Uppelschoten: “What are we doing now”, he wonders. “The project team has changed and the responsible provincial administrator is no longer there either.” Cees Bijl was responsible for this file, but stopped at the end of last year. Nelleke Vedelaar is his successor.
“A new study yields nothing for us other than conclusions that are now available,” continues Uppelschoten. “It is laudable that the province has not covered up the problems, but has informed us about this.”