Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has ruled out a new inquiry into the role played by the late Prince Bernhard, father of Queen Beatrix, in the Lockheed bribery scandal in the 1970s.
Late last year, D66 party leader Alexander Pechtold called for an inquiry by a small group of historians to clear up this issue, following claims by historian Gerard Aalders that Bernhard’s involvement was far greater than previously thought.
Aalders also concluded that the Donner Inquiry, which investigated the bribes Prince Bernhard allegedly received from US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed, had deliberately uncovered as little incriminating evidence as possible.
Prime Minister Rutte said the historian was entitled to his opinion, but both the cabinet and parliament had accepted the inquiry’s findings in 1976.
(imm)
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