SITTARD - The public prosecutor's office (OM) yesterday released the last three suspects in large-scale construction fraud in Limburg. They are a province official and two employees of construction company Janssen de Jong Infra. They were arrested nine weeks ago by the National Criminal Investigation Department. It is no longer necessary for the investigation that they remain detained, the justice department announced. The investigation into corruption among public officials began in the summer of 2007 following information that the Janssen de Jong Infra construction company was guilty of bribery. On January 27, the National Criminal Investigation Department started a large number of searches and the arrest of officials and (former) employees of the construction company. The officials from Sittard, Stein, Heerlen and Nuth, among others, are suspected of violating their official secrecy by providing the construction company with confidential information about tenders.

It concerns infrastructure projects of municipalities and province, such as the reconstruction and paving of (provincial) roads. Since late January, a total of eight municipal and provincial officials, a spouse of an official and 12 employees of Jansen de Jong Infra have been arrested. The investigation by the National Criminal Investigation Department will continue for several months.