That former television presenter Frank Masmeijer, who was convicted of drug trafficking, was pardoned due to personal circumstances. That’s what lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops said on Wednesday in a video fragment in the TV program Renze.
“Then we are actually talking about events in his family sphere, which arose as a result of the detention and during detention,” said Knoops, without giving any explanation. Knoops was one of the lawyers for former NCRV member Frank Masmeijer. Earlier on Wednesday, Knoops did not know what the reason was for the pardon.
Masmeijer told De Telegraaf on Wednesday that he was released from prison a year and a half earlier by a decision of the king. Masmeijer was serving a nine-year sentence for cocaine smuggling. Knoops also said in the video fragment at Renze that the pardon had been requested “on the grounds that Mr Masmeijer was wrongly convicted”. According to the counsel, examples were also given in the request “why this was found to be the case”.
Earlier, Knoops said that pardons are only granted in “exceptional cases”.