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Dutch FM protests Moroccan espionage attempt
 The Dutch foreign minister protested Thursday against an alleged Moroccan espionage attempt and announced that two Moroccan diplomats had been recalled from The Hague over the matter. "It is a vile matter when foreign security services try to gather secret information about the police in the Netherlands," Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told MPs in a parliamentary budget debate, according to his spokesman Bart Rijs. "Arising from this matter, explanations were sought from Morocco, and consequently two diplomats were recalled by the Moroccan government," he added. Rijs declined to reveal the names or level of seniority of the envoys, who left The Hague a few months ago. Media reports that a Dutch policeman of Moroccan descent was dismissed in July on suspicion of being a spy also triggered heated debate in the House of Representatives Thursday. Dutch television reported Monday that the 38-year-old brigadier had transmitted confidential information to Moroccan secret services. A Rotterdam police spokeswoman declined to confirm these claims against the brigadier, saying only he was dismissed "for serious dereliction of duty." The Rotterdam prosecution service said Wednesday it had launched a preliminary probe based on information recently acquired from the Dutch intelligence service AIVD. MPs will continue debating the topic next Tuesday, before which "the government will report in a letter to parliament on this issue as well as reports that Morocco has tried to recruit other Dutch citizens of Moroccan descent or those with passports of both countries," Rijs said. Former MP Fouad El-Haji, now a Rotterdam municipal councilor, told Dutch television on Wednesday that he too had been approached by Moroccan secret services. He said he refused the advances, but accused a former colleague of having collaborated in the affair. Posted by: Fred 2008-09-19 |
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