THE HAGUE - The Court of Appeals in the Netherlands has ruled that the reporting by NRC and De Limburger regarding the alleged favoritism of former minister Raymond Knops in the purchase of a building plot was lawful. In 2020, the newspapers published reports that Knops had been favored to the tune of tens of thousands of euros in this purchase, leading to a lawsuit.
Raymond Knops, known here in the islands as the former State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and having held significant political positions as a Member of Parliament and minister, accused the newspapers of acting carelessly. He claimed that there was no favoritism and described the reporting as harmful and undermining to the rule of law. However, the court has determined that the newspapers' accusations were based on facts.
Land purchase
The case revolves around Knops' purchase of land in 2010 through the space-for-space scheme in Limburg, where he ultimately ended up receiving more land than he had paid for. The lower court had previously ruled that there was indeed favoritism, but that the newspapers were not allowed to claim that it amounted to tens of thousands of euros. The Court of Appeals has now reviewed this decision and confirmed that this aspect of the publication was factually correct as well.
The court's ruling also emphasizes that due to his public functions, Knops may be subject to more media attention than average, especially when his private actions involve public regulations. The Court of Appeals has also ordered Knops to pay the legal costs of both the first instance and the appeal.
This ruling marks an important moment for journalistic freedom and justice, especially in cases involving public figures who use public resources. Raymond Knops was not immediately available for comment.