Mayor Dilia Blok of the municipality of Someren testified in court on Tuesday about the dismissal of alderman Guido Schoolmeesters. She was summoned by the Necker van Naem research agency, which says his reputation has been damaged by the Schoolmasters issue. Blok told Tuesday morning about the behavior of the former alderman, which at times ‘made her roll off her chair’.
Anyone who thought that peace would immediately return to Someren after the elections, is wrong. The investigation agency wants to hear 7 more witnesses in the coming months. Necker van Naem made the research report on the basis of which Guido Schoolmeesters was fired by the city council.
According to the researchers, the alderman did not behave with integrity in the construction of the Groote Hoeven district in Someren. According to the report, he favored his son with the purchase of a house. He also favored a construction company, the researchers concluded.
“A distorted image has emerged.”
Schoolmeesters was furious about his dismissal and accused the research bureau of not acting with integrity. Necker van Naem also, according to him, drew incorrect conclusions in the report. The alderman initiated legal proceedings in which three officials and one of the researchers were questioned. Officials said they did not identify with the report.
After the election victory of Schoolmeesters and his party, the former alderman wanted to let the matter rest. But the research agency is not going to let it go. According to the lawyer, a ‘wrong’ picture has arisen because people who do not agree with the report have now mainly had their say. The agency now wants to rectify that image.
“There was also an ugly swear word, which is not in the Van Dale”
Mayor Blok opened a book in court about the behavior of former alderman Schoolmeesters. The contractor was already allowed to start ground work for the construction of the houses by the alderman, while the ground had not yet belonged to the contractor. Construction was subsequently halted.
Mayor Blok: “Then I received a phone call from the alderman. Emotions ran high. There was also an ugly swear word, which is not in the Van Dale. If I even realized what I was doing to his son. He had already paid an amount of 85,000 euros. I rolled off my chair.”
The mayor was regularly angry about Schoolmeesters, as it turned out in court on Tuesday. “Why did I roll off my chair? Because we had agreements in college about the risk of conflicts of interest and acting with integrity.”
The construction company agreed with the alderman to pay a deposit because it had not yet bought the land. According to the mayor, he did so without consulting the college. That disapproved of the construction with the deposit, but the money was deposited on the same day.
“Contractor received several phone calls, whether his son was already next”
Guido Schoolmeesters himself also asked questions to the mayor in court. Whether the mayor was aware that the allocation of the homes was done completely in order of registration? “I read in the investigation that there were already three candidates who had registered earlier and who had to wait,” Blok said. “Also that another son of Schoolmeesters was on the list with another contractor and that that contractor received several phone calls from the alderman asking if his son was already next.” The councilor denies that.
The research bureau still plans to interview a number of aldermen, including Schoolmeesters himself and the former municipal secretary.
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