OM: witnesses in De Punt train hijacking case not influenced

Employees of the Ministry of Defense have not influenced marines who were heard as witnesses in the case of the train hijacking at De Punt. Relatives of two killed train hijackers had filed a complaint against the Ministry of Defense, but the Public Prosecution Service concludes “after extensive investigation by the National Criminal Investigation Service” that there was no question of influence. The report has been filed.

In May 1977, a train was hijacked near the village of De Punt in Drenthe. After weeks, Marines put an end to this, killing six of the nine hostage-takers and two train passengers held hostage. The relatives of hijackers Max Papilaja and Hansina Uktolseja believe they were executed illegally, because they were already wounded and defenseless. They then instituted a case against the Dutch state for compensation. In June last year, this case was also lost on appeal by the relatives.

In the civil suit, Marines have been heard about that fatal liberation. At the end of 2017, lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld had reported the influence of influence on behalf of the relatives of the shot dead South Moluccan hijackers. According to Zegveld, there were “unbelievable statements” made by eleven marines and the stories were aligned.

The National Criminal Investigation Department inter alia interviewed the marines, as well as the then commander and his deputy. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the investigation shows that “only procedural” has been discussed about what the marines could expect in the civil case. “It was not about the substance of the case.”