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18-05-2024

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reading time 3 minutes

Antonie Kerstholt

‍Economist and lawyer

Omtzigt is extremely implausible if civil servants who fail to fulfil obligations remain in office!

It is very remarkable that so far there has been little fuss about the revealed shocking reality in the workplace at the Tax Administration Department, which former civil servant Joop Hack recently outlined in an interview with the newspaper allegiance.

Hack was simply doing his duty as a public servant, in answers to questions about a victim file from the lawyer Gonzálex Pérez, who specializes in benefits. But was then severely punished for that legally normal behavior of an official. Due to a breach of duty. Because he did not want to follow strict orders from the top of the benefits organization to deliberately screw things up.

After discovering his rule of law, he was immediately harshly tackled and deactivated by his managers like a whistleblower. Due to a breach of duty!

The above facts say enough about the extremely reprehensible moral integrity of the top officials in this part of the tax authorities. But also about the blind and slavish officials.

This happened at a time when the Netherlands regularly pointed a finger at various EU member states that they did not respect the rule of law. But if the country itself was completely politically blind to the aforementioned immense violation of its own rule of law and a smear in our parliamentary history. Like that came out many years later after extensive research.

This rule of law undermining official action was clearly highlighted in a crystal clear work instruction from the top management, which meant that any objection raised by a victim should in principle be dismissed under the motto: “Don't sulk, but dock!” This instruction issued in violation of our rule of law was subsequently followed en masse by lower officials. An instruction that was directly contrary to their legal obligation for every official and was nevertheless followed.

Loyalty is always for sale. This is known from the criminal world and that rule of experience is also used outside that sector. In the government, it is often enough to enforce loyalty with a threat of possible dismissal. Of course, deactivating the whistleblower Hack was primarily intended from the top to secure the loyalty of others at lower levels.

The most shocking thing about what has now been publicly announced in Renske Leijten's book about this issue, “We couldn't make it more fun”, is the fact that all these officials are still working at this service unit. Can things get any worse after everything that has come out about the benefits affair?

Not quickly enough, the official top still working there can be dealt with harshly and severely sanctioned. After all, they have shown that they deliberately jettisoned their integrity in order to secretly undermine the rule of law of our society.

Precisely in the interests of our rule of law, this only involves deep shame and, above all, a quick dishonorable dismissal.

Work to be done for the new government to ensure that these officials, who are very dangerous and unfit for the rule of law, are preferably asked to look for jobs elsewhere. Or in case of refusal to dismiss dishonorably for breach of duty.

NSC and Pieter Omtzigt, in particular, owe that to the benefit victims and even more to their voters.

More about:

opinion, surcharges scandal, tax authorities, pieter omtzigt