Rotterdam Fires Civil Servants in Bribery Scandal Tied to Boijmans Van Beuningen

In Rotterdam, two civil servants have been fired for allegedly taking bribes to grant inflated construction contracts, including asbestos removal for the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Their termination followed an internal city investigation that determined they violated conduct codes by accepting gifts from business associates for favorable treatment. They are also under suspicion for forgery and passive bribery of other officials. The scandal was initially uncovered by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad in 2023, with formal allegations surfacing three years prior. In 2024, the city council initiated a police inquiry, which is still ongoing. Diederik van Dommelen, the city’s financial affairs head, noted that the case is now criminal. The museum, which closed for renovations in 2019 and opened its depot in 2021, is set to reopen in 2029 after asbestos removal.