Justice minister Ard van der Steur is expected to announce an independent investigation into former national police chief Gerard Bouman on Wednesday.

The probe will centre on the role played by Bouman in decisions taken by the police works council after an earlier investigation showed that a part of its spending was ‘unlawful and inefficient,’ the NRC reported.

Last year, the council, which represents all 65,000 police officers in negotiations with management on organisational and other issues affecting the police, had €1.6m at its disposal.

Jan Struijs, the head of the police union NPB, said in the NRC that the data caused ‘at the very least a suspicion that the decision-making about the [police force] reorganisation has been tainted.’

In particular he wants to know why senior police and justice ministry staff backed the plans when they were opposed by external experts and unions, and warned against by the works council.

Expensive parties

The current police chief Erik Akerboom has already pressed charges against Frank Giltay, the former chairman of the works council.

Giltay resigned on June 21 after an investigation started into the way he spent works council cash. ‘He chucked money around and Bouman was aware of it but did nothing,’ one source told the investigation.

Giltay is alleged to have spent council money on organising expensive parties and charity auctions. He also allegedly brought in an image coach and communications advisor and bought himself an expensive suit, all of which were paid for from the council budget.