Gangster's sister settles inheritance question with justice department

Thursday 31 January 2013

The sister of the Netherlands’ most notorious gangland figure, Willem Holleeder, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the justice ministry about ransom money paid following the kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken by her brother and husband in 1983.

Sonja Holleeder was widowed when Cor van Hout, one of the other members of the kidnap gang, was murdered in 2003. Since then she has been under investigation over the inheritance, which was thought to include some of the ransom money.

A spokesman for the public prosecution department confirmed the settlement on Wednesday. ‘The amount is €1.1m. Of this, €1m is the claw-back of criminal gains and the rest a fine. The money has now been paid,’ a spokesman told the Telegraaf.

The equivalent of €16m was paid to free Heineken and his chauffeur Ab Doderer in 1983, much of which was found buried in woods near Zeist shortly after his release. But some eight million guilders was never recovered. Much of that was thought to have been invested in brothels in Alkmaar.

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