Parliament’s ruling body has agreed that a special committee should be set up to investigate claims that one or more MPs leaked highly confidential information to the media.

The public prosecution department said on Wednesday evening that there had been a leak of sensitive information which had been given to party leaders in confidence.

The leak focuses on the government’s repeated denial in 2013 that details about 1.8 million phone calls and internet messages made in the Netherlands were passed to the US security services.

Home affairs minister Ronald Plasterk was later forced to backtrack after claims were made in the media he had told a parliamentary committee which deals with confidential security issues about the information agreement with the US.

Confidential

Most party leaders are members of that committee but its work is supposed to be completely confidential.

Commentators say there is a real risk that a prominent MP, possibly a member of the coalition government, could be involved in the leaks. That person would then have to appear before the high court and could face up to a year in prison or a fine of €20,250.