Civil servant who, through forgery and fraud, acquired a plot of land in Bentveld for a low price from his official position, faces trial

A 38-year-old man from Haarlem had to appear in court on Thursday, March 19, after being accused of forgery and fraud. As a civil servant at the Haarlem municipality, he allegedly abused his position as a planning lawyer to facilitate the sale of a municipal plot of land in Bentveld to his mother at a price far below its value. After falsifying the land’s designation, a house could be built on the site. The role of the mother in this matter was investigated, but she is no longer a suspect in the case.

On February 5, 2024, the municipality filed a police report. The National Investigation Service (Rijksrecherche) launched an investigation—since the suspect was a civil servant—under the direction of the Public Prosecution Service. The accused worked for the municipality of Zandvoort since 2013, and after the municipal merger with Haarlem in 2018, he continued in the same role for Haarlem. He worked there until April 1, 2023. During this period, he took the oath of office twice, in which he pledged, among other things, to fulfill his duties diligently. In early 2024, the municipality suspected that the man had, through forgery and fraud, altered the designation of a plot of land in Bentveld—originally designated as "green space"—to "residential with garden," allowing him to sell it to his mother using a forged sales agreement and powers of attorney on behalf of the municipality. Suspicion arose as early as late 2022, and this was later confirmed during preparations for the cadastral boundary designation of the plot. The municipality then filed a report. The investigation revealed that the man had likely been working on his plan to acquire the Bentveld plot through his mother since spring 2021. The land was purchased for €15,000, far below the market value of €330,000 for a residential plot in Bentveld. As a planning lawyer in the Spatial Planning department, he was responsible for revising the Bentveld zoning plan. He began executing his plan by proposing to a colleague, a real estate asset manager, to sell a plot designated as "green space" for a symbolic amount. The suspect then, acting as the municipality’s contact person, commissioned a consultancy firm working on the Bentveld zoning plan to change the plot’s designation from "green space" to "residential with garden." This was the first document the suspect falsified. He did not inform other municipal officials about the zoning change and pushed the plan through without their knowledge, after which the designation was officially altered. Other forged documents included the sales agreement and the attached signature page, which were supposed to be signed by the Real Estate Department manager. However, the manager claims he never signed the documents. Two powers of attorney were also signed in his name without his knowledge. The investigation suggests the suspect forged the manager’s signatures and initials. When colleagues raised concerns about the plot and sale, he provided fabricated explanations, such as claiming it was pure coincidence that the buyer shared the same surname as his mother.

Severity of the offenses

The prosecutor stated in court that the man abused his position, which is particularly serious because public trust in government is essential for a functioning democratic society. Civil servants who exploit their roles for personal gain, as this suspect did by using forgery and fraud to acquire land far below its market value, undermine the integrity and reputation of the municipality—and by extension, the government. This is an aggravating factor. He also betrayed the trust of his employer, colleagues, and the consultancy firm he worked with. Additionally, he involved people who trusted him in a criminal investigation by the National Investigation Service, including his own mother, who was initially suspected of complicity. The plot has since been returned to municipal ownership, and the suspect and his mother cooperated after the fraud was uncovered. The suspect has already been ordered by a civil court to pay the municipality €43,493.18 in damages.

The suspect claims he wanted to do something for his mother and give her the opportunity to build a home where she could live with her sisters. The prosecutor dismissed this, stating it was purely about financial gain, with the suspect set to benefit significantly in the long term. The prosecutor also criticized the fact that this was a long-term plan rather than an impulsive act. These factors weigh heavily against the suspect. The Public Prosecution Service considers imprisonment appropriate and necessary, with a conditional sentence due to the fact that the suspect resumed working for a municipality while knowing a criminal case and civil proceedings were pending against him. The prosecution believes it is undesirable for the suspect to hold a similar position in government again. Considering all these factors, the Public Prosecution Service is seeking a prison sentence of 24 months, six of which would be suspended with a two-year probation period. Additionally, the suspect faces a five-year ban on working as an advisor for a government agency—or, if the court does not impose such a ban, this restriction could be added as a special condition during the probation period.