The province of Gelderland will conduct an independent investigation into the allegations of inappropriate behavior against King’s Commissioner John Berends and a number of his close associates.
This is the outcome of an additional meeting with faction leaders of the political parties in Gelderland. The investigation was carried out at the request of Berends himself and the Provincial Council.
Berends and employees are accused by provincial officials of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, according to a publication in De Gelderlander on Friday. Colleagues speak of outbursts of anger, swearing and throwing doors. Some indicate that physical boundaries have also been crossed and that bullying has occurred.
The Gelderland commissioner already indicated that he did not recognize himself in the images sketched. He did that again tonight. “I can speak firmly to people, but always focus on the ball and not on the man. If a number of officials have experienced this differently, that was never my intention, and I apologize for that. But I do not recognize myself in the images “, Omroep Gelderland quotes him.
During the meeting, Berends denied that nine of the thirteen closest employees of his ‘cabinet’ had been confronted with verbally inappropriate behavior. “That is incorrect: two people suffered from this, but that was due to employees outside the cabinet,” he said.
The commissioner indicated that he wanted to have the facts on the table and therefore proposed that an independent investigation be conducted into the complaints. That investigation will take place, because the Provincial Council also wants the matter to be properly investigated.
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