Former deputy and current mayor of Beekdaelen Eric Geurts (PvdA) has not been guilty of a violation of the integrity surrounding the imposition of a penalty payment on the Brunssum company Vossenberg Beheer.
That is the conclusion of an external investigation that was carried out on behalf of former acting governor Johan Remkes.
penalty payment
Remkes had taken action after Geurts’ successor as deputy, Robert Housmans (PVV), had made a report about an alleged violation of integrity.
After the provincial government had confidentially decided in mid-April 2019 to impose a penalty of 360,000 euros on Vossenberg for failing to take fire safety measures, Geurts had telephone contact with the company. According to the report, he would have promised that the penalty would not have to be paid if they would still take the measures.
No clues
The researchers say they have not found any indications for this. Geurts only explained to Vossenberg that he could only be saved by meeting the requirements as stated in the current permit. “He tried to choose his words in the spirit of the decision-making that had taken place,” the report said.
At the time, according to the researchers, he did feel that this was somewhat at odds with confidentiality, but he saw it as his duty to explain the decision taken to Vossenberg if requested.
Also read: SVL wants clarity on Geurts integrity issue
Consent
In addition, the researchers found that Geurts did not act on his own, but that he would have one last talk with Vossenberg with the approval of the provincial government. “We find it difficult to see that Geurts should have done that without at least suggesting something about space,” the researchers said.
They found no further indications that there was a different relationship between Geurts and Vossenberg Beheer than the normal relationship between entrepreneur and commissioner. Geurts was previously also alderman of Brunssum.
The researchers also state with some emphasis that none of the interviewees questioned Geurts’ intentions. They do wonder, however, on the basis of interviews with civil servants, to what extent offering straws such as Vossenberg’s can set a precedent and even jeopardize the reliability of the board.
Also read: Limburg Parliament will discuss integrity reports in March
principle of equality
In later legal proceedings, the Vossenberg Beheer case was cited with an appeal to the principle of equality. But that is independent of the question of whether there is a violation of integrity, the researchers say. At the same time, they also point out that Geurts lacked political sensitivity in the civil service and that this was also regularly reported to the director of the enforcement organization RUD. “Whether or not because of this field of tension, the communication between Geurts and RUD left something to be desired,” according to the report.
Resolving an undesired situation, such as with Vossenberg, was more important to Geurts than collecting a penalty. “That was not a goal in itself for him,” you can read.
Vossenberg Beheer was the owner and lessor of the building in question and therefore responsible for fire safety. The tenant was TdP. That company recycled plastic and caused fly nuisance in the area for years.
Geurts himself says in a reaction that he is happy with the conclusions of the report. “I didn’t doubt it either and had every confidence in the outcome,” said Geurts.