In the coming days, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will issue summonses in the Kwihi case. In the meantime, the Court has set a date for the preliminary hearing (regiezitting).
There are six suspects in this case, including C.V.J.R., former Minister of Transport, Communication, and Primary Sector. The allegations relate to embezzlement of public funds, fraud, money laundering, tax fraud, and abuse of office, committed between November 2017 and October 2021. The public first learned of the Kwihi case in February 2023, when searches were conducted at various addresses, and data storage devices and administrative records were seized. At the time, the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that the investigation was directed, among others, against the former minister.
The Code of Criminal Procedure states that for the Public Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute an official suspected of committing a crime in the performance of their duties, the Joint Court of Justice must first grant authorization. This safeguard is anchored in Article 476 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which came into effect in April 2024. The legislature intended to prevent this provision of criminal law from being used as a potential instrument of political power.
On August 25th, the Joint Court heard the request from the Public Prosecutor’s Office pursuant to Article 476 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to prosecute the former minister. The Joint Court approved this request, thereby authorizing the Public Prosecutor’s Office to proceed with the prosecution.