Money laundering suspect Theo E. from Gasteren will be released tomorrow. This was determined by the council chamber of the court in Assen this afternoon. 58-year-old E. is the main suspect in a major money laundering case, in which Jumbo CEO Frits van Eerd is also a suspect.
E. is released under conditions. The terms and conditions have not been disclosed.
When ‘suspending pre-trial detention’, the council chamber considers, among other things, the personal interests of the suspect. “This includes the question of whether the length of the pre-trial detention outweighs the duration of the investigation still to be carried out.” According to the Public Prosecution Service, the investigation will take a long time, because a lot of items have been seized. The Public Prosecution Service does not oppose the judge’s decision.
Theo E. is a former racing driver and well-known figure in motorsport. At the end of September, his pretrial detention was extended by 60 days.
Theo E. is suspected of being involved in various constructions in which money and goods have been laundered. That would have happened through real estate transactions, car deals, unexplained cash deposits and sponsorship contracts in the motocross sport, according to the Public Prosecution Service. According to the judiciary, “large amounts of cash have been seized”. E.’s companies are also being scrutinized by the Public Prosecution Service.
E. is seen as the spider in the web. He is the only suspect currently in custody. Van Eerd has already been released from pre-trial detention after being detained for a number of days. Other suspects include a 57-year-old woman and a 48-year-old woman from Gasteren, a 50-year-old woman from Assen, two 33-year-old men from Assen and a 46-year-old man from Assen.