DSB bank to take central bank chief to court over press leaks

Dirk Scheringa, the founder of bankrupt bank DSB, is taking legal action against four members of the Dutch central bank board.


DSB went bankrupt a year ago after a run by savers who were unnerved by reports of high costs and mis-selling.
A spokesman for Scheringa said the charges – against central bank president Nout Wellink and three others – centre on the deliberate leaking of information about DSB’s finances to the press.
Weekend
The leak came as government officials, central bank officials and representatives from the big Dutch banks held crisis talks about a rescue package for DSB, which was on the verge of collapse last October.
But news of the talks and an appeal to have DSB placed under central bank control was leaked to the media, leading to a further run on the bank.
DSB bank boss Dirk Scheringa accused finance ministry or central bank officials of being behind the leaks.
The then finance minister said at the time some 500 people were either involved in the talks or could make a reasonable guess at what was going on over the weekend in question.
A police investigation earlier this year failed to establish if there had been a leak, and if so, by who. The public prosecution department then decided not to take the case to court.

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