Former television presenter Frank Masmeijer has been pardoned due to “personal circumstances”. That’s what lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops said in a video fragment in the TV program on Wednesday Renze.
“We are actually talking about events in his family atmosphere that arose as a result of the detention and during detention,” said Knoops, who was part of Masmeijer’s team of lawyers.
Knoops further stated that the pardon had been requested “on the grounds that Mr Masmeijer was wrongly convicted”. According to the lawyer, examples were also given in the request “why this was found to be the case”.
Masmeijer told Wednesday in The Telegraph that he was released a year and a half earlier by a decision of King Willem-Alexander. The former presenter was serving a nine-year sentence for cocaine smuggling.
The conviction of Frank Masmeijer
- In 2014, the former presenter was arrested in Belgium on suspicion of involvement in smuggling 467 kilograms of cocaine.
- It has been more than twenty years since we saw Masmeijer on television. In 1993 his collaboration with broadcaster NCRV came to an end after the end of the Holidayshow.
- Masmeijer was sentenced to eight years in prison in October 2017. He denies involvement and will appeal.
- During the hearing by the Court of Appeal, Masmeijer confesses to having played a “limited role” in the smuggling. He is sentenced to nine years in prison.