How hard can it be to stay silent? Very difficult. Former director Rob A. of road construction company Janssen De Jong Infra was silent for a long time, but had to speak yesterday.
Anyone following the corruption trial surrounding road construction company Janssen De Jong Infra before the court in Den Bosch sees it immediately. Between the former regional director of the Meerssen branch Mark J. and his old boss, directorRob A. there is an icy atmosphere. Although they sit in the same suspect bench, made in one piece, they do not give each other a glance. It is the only visibly disturbed relationship between the total of nine suspects, including six officials. The men who were handed the envelopes and who had their homes refurbished at Janssen De Jong's expense in exchange for favoring the company,still speak to each other and to the generous donors.
Earlier this week, the regional director of the "rotten" Meerssen branch of JaJo broke his silence. He placed all responsibility for the smearing of the officials on his boss Rob A. Who, in fact, would have always known about everything in advance and authorized payments to officials and gifts, from baby drinks stot and with renovations. Mark J.painted a picture that he had been just a cog in the system, but that Rob A. actually turned the knobs. An accusation Rob A. could not let go of. The man, who appeared to be following the trial as an observer, read out a short statement.
"Mark was fully and independently competent. He operated independently. I am partly responsible, but I was unaware of most of the practices. At the first interrogations by the state investigators, I was shocked by the amount of facts.All those facts I did not know, let alone would have given prior authorization. I managed a total of seven regions, had five hundred personnel under me. I was sometimes not at the Meerssen office for days, as the phone taps also show. "After which he revealed how disappointed he was in his former protégé. "I cannot understand that a former colleague suddenly and under oath dares to make such false statements. "With which a rock-hard accusation of perjury was on the table. Mark J. heard the account stoically. The only one who has remained out of sight for the court is the Maastricht civil servant H.. He is on Curaçao. His statement may have influence on all criminal cases.Reason for the court to postpone the reading of the demands against all suspects until November 19. Then it will become clear how the prosecution sees the division of roles between the JaJo directors. Both will then also get a final word.
