Suspects of unprecedented Murders on Order

A process is starting against the motor club Caloh Wagoh. A large number of the club members is suspected of underworld murders and failed attempt to murder. The prosecution says that the main person who ordered murders from Caloh Wagoh was the leading criminal Ridouan Taghi. There are 21 suspects in this process of which 18 are arrested. The prosecutor said that murders on order have never been seen before in the Netherlands.

www.ad.nl/binnenland/caloh-wagoh-leider-verdacht-van-voorbereiden-moord-op-brein-achter-martelkamer~a8ddb332/

Dutch multinationals pay less than 11% profit tax

Deputy Minister of Finance Hans Vijlbrief has sent a letter to parliament about tax payments in total of 155 Dutch multinationals. These companies in 2016 had total sales of 225 billion Euros. They made 24.8 billion Euro profit. On that they paid 10.6% tax or 2.6 billion Euros. Yet various corrections mean that in fact 21.7% have been paid. 

https://www.ad.nl/politiek/multinationals-met-de-billen-bloot-2-6-miljard-euro-belasting-over-24-8-miljard-euro-winst~a2d48b54/

Dutch Police Discovers Torture Chamber of Underworld

The Dutch police has discovered sea-containers that had been converted in a makeshift prison and soundproofed torture chamber. It was set up by members of the increasingly violent Dutch criminal underworld, which is involved in the large scaled production and trafficing of drugs. Its location was in Wouwse Plantage, a village close to the Belgium border. Six people have been arrested. The police intervened before the torture chamber could be used.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/07/dutch-police-arrest-six-men-after-discovery-of-torture-chamber

www.parool.nl/amsterdam/martelcomplex-van-de-onderwereld-6-cellen-1-martelkamer~b45f7cc3/

Coronavirus expected to cause increase in mental health problems

The national Social Cultural and Planning Bureau (SCP) says that the government needs to invest in mental health care as it expects an increase in mental health problems. The SCP says that people are at risk of mental health problems due to loneliness, losing their jobs or Coronavirus related trauma.

https://nltimes.nl/2020/07/07/coronavirus-expected-cause-increase-mental-health-problems

Angry Farmers block access to Eindhoven Airport

Farmers have been protesting for many months against Government measures. Most recently they are angry about agriculture minister Carola Schouten’s intention to ban them from adding proteins to their animal feeds from coming September. The minister wants to reduce nitrogen emissions to create more possibilities for housing and road construction. 

https://nltimes.nl/2020/07/06/farmers-block-access-eindhoven-airport-protest-filled-weekend

Dutch Railway Company Heavily Criticized on Holocaust Reparations

During the Second World War, the Dutch National Railway Company, nowadays called NS, transported Jews to Dutch transit camps and from there to the German border.  Almost all, more than a hundred thousand, were murdered.  NS has made payments to survivors and their descendants yet there are many murdered with no descendants. A collective payment should be made for this according to an independent commission.  The NS has decided to make a payment of 5.6 million dollars divided between 4 Dutch memorial centers.  It has refused to sit down with Jewish organizations to discuss the collective payment.  This refusal has received major international publicity partly due to a publication of Associated Press.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/jewish-groups-angry-at-dutch-railway-over-holocaust-reperations/

Dutch Government will not offer apology for slavery

A bad tempered debate took place in parliament about a possible Dutch apology for slavery and the Dutch role in the slave trade. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that a formal apology could end up increasing polarization. In the meantime the cabinet has set up a special committee to look into slavery. During the debate the leader of the Green Left Party, Jesse Klaver called PVV leader Geert Wilders “an idiot.” Wilders called Klaver a “political hooligan with party members who voted for communist mass murderers.: Esther Ouwehand of the Party for the Animals compared turning a blind eye to racism to racism with conditions in factory farms.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/07/no-apology-for-slavery-says-dutch-pm-in-bad-tempered-debate-about-racism/