Lawyer leaking former security guard Wilders: 'Policy sharing information unclear'
According to Peter Plasman, the lawyer for Faris K., who was part of Geert Wilders' security team, it was unclear within the Dienst Bewaken en Beveiligen (DBB) which information could be shared with whom.
Plasman said so Monday in The Hague District Court during the first non-substantive hearing of the case.
According to Plasman, it was left to the security guard himself to judge what information could and could not be shared. In addition, one of the DBB chiefs allegedly said that the information about Wilders' residence was known anyway.
Police officer K. shared information by phone about Wilders' whereabouts, security and mode of transportation from July 2016 to December 2016.
He also told a woman about the visit of a daughter of Barack Obama to the Netherlands. At that time, her father was still president of the US. K. also spoke by phone with the woman about a new service weapon.
K. looked into police systems for private purposes
K. is also suspected of violating official secrecy because he looked into police systems for private purposes. He did not do so to share information with criminals, the prosecutor reiterated. Initially, that was feared.
The 36-year-old K. worked for the DBB and was, among other things, involved in the security of PVV front man Wilders. Within duty, K. was in charge of making so-called environmental scans for the security of Wilders and other unspecified individuals.
'K. only acted tough on girlfriends'
K. was not present at the hearing. According to his lawyer Plasman, K. had been a little too loose and had "just been acting tough with girlfriends."
Several more witnesses must be heard in the near future. After that, the case can be dealt with substantively. It is still unclear when that will happen.
The police officer was arrested last February, during the campaign for the Lower House elections. Wilders then temporarily halted his campaign.
In 2008, K. had already been sentenced to a suspended community service of one hundred hours for intentionally violating his official secrecy. K. then worked for the police in Utrecht.
