The House of Representatives will convene this Thursday to determine whether to launch a deeper investigation into the potential involvement of former Speaker of the House, Vera Bergkamp, in leaking official secrets. This decision follows a series of interrogations conducted by the National Criminal Investigation Department (Rijksrecherche) that have raised questions about Bergkamp’s actions.

The inquiry stems from the leak of information regarding accusations of transgressive behavior against former Speaker of the House, Khadija Arib, in September 2022. An anonymous letter detailing these accusations led to an official investigation initiated by Bergkamp and the daily board of the House. The news of the investigation was leaked to the press before Arib was even informed.

While Arib has since been largely cleared by an external investigation, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) initiated an investigation into the leak itself. Two primary suspects have emerged: Sonja K., Bergkamp’s former spokesperson, and Jaap van R., the former director of housing for the House.

The criminal file reveals inconsistencies and unexplained contacts. Bergkamp struggled to explain why she contacted Van R. both immediately before and after the leak was published. Furthermore, Van R. maintained close contact with NRC, the news outlet that broke the story.

The Rijksrecherche also questioned Bergkamp about frequent communication with her spokesperson, Sonja K., around the time of the leak. Call data indicates multiple phone calls between Bergkamp and K. in the hours leading up to the news being published, despite Bergkamp’s initial claim that they had not discussed the Arib case.

Adding to the suspicion, K. had provided a false excuse to leave work, claiming she needed to attend to her sick daughter. Instead, her phone signal was traced to Amsterdam, near the NRC building, after which she began a flurry of calls with Bergkamp and the newspaper.

Further complicating matters, Bergkamp deleted emails to K., including a forwarded secret advice from the government lawyer, after which she and the House’s highest administrative authority requested that K. delete the emails as well. Days later, NRC quoted from the secret document.

Van R., a suspect in the leak, was also one of the top officials who strongly advocated for the investigation into Arib. He appears to have been involved in drafting the anonymous letter that triggered the investigation, a fact he did not disclose during crucial meetings with the daily board.

Arib has consistently alleged a conspiracy by the administrative leadership and Bergkamp to undermine her.

The court in The Hague will rule on Thursday regarding the guilt of K., the first suspect in the case. Later that afternoon, the House’s daily board, led by chairman Martin Bosma, will announce whether it will pursue an investigation into the roles of Bergkamp and certain top officials.