On Wednesday, at least five politicians convicted or suspected of a criminal offense will be sworn in as municipal councilors, according to research by RTL Nieuws. It concerns two who were convicted of cannabis cultivation and assault in the past 18 months, and three suspects in ongoing criminal cases involving fraud and illegal weapons possession.

Legally, municipal council members are not required to have a clean criminal record. “A democracy must also have room for people with a blemish,” Niels Karsten, an associate professor of public administration, told the broadcaster. “But as a party, you do have a responsibility to bring this to light as thoroughly as possible.”

In the run-up to the city council elections on March 18, RTL Nieuws’s research identified over 20 candidate council members who had recently been convicted or were suspects in an ongoing criminal case. Most of them were ultimately not elected.

Those who were elected include Jan Riemeijer, who was the lead candidate for the CDA in the Groningen municipality of Westerkwartier. According to RTL, Riemeijer is suspected of fraud with coronavirus subsidies worth several hundred thousand euros. He previously told RTL that he would not take a potential seat, but went back on that promise shortly after the election. Tomorrow, Riemeijer will enter the municipal council as a one-man faction.

In Súdwest-Fryslân, the far-right party FvD managed to secure three seats. Lead candidate Barry Bibo will, therefore, almost certainly be sworn in tomorrow. He was convicted on appeal last year for possession of a cannabis plantation. “I see no reason whatsoever to doubt my integrity,” he told RTL Nieuws.

The lead candidate of Vrije Partij Ooststellingwerf (VPO), Ben Oostra, is suspected of illegal weapons possession. He will also take a seat on the Friesland municipality’s council. A VPO spokesperson told RTL that the allegations should be viewed in the context of “activities undertaken by Mr. Oostra regarding commemorations and education about the Second World War and veteran care.” According to the spokesperson, the weapons involved are deactivated firearms.

In Emmen, a candidate for Veilig Emmen will be sworn in who is suspected of fraud. And the lead candidate for FvD in Den Bosch has been convicted three times for assault. The party did not respond to RTL’s request for a comment.