Judges lift restrictions on face mask broker’s back account

Judges have rescinded the sequestration order on a bank account belonging to Sywert van Lienden, one of three young businessmen accused of making millions of euros selling face masks to the government during the coronavirus pandemic, after pretending they were working for a charity.

Van Lienden had argued that he was unable to pay for legal help in his cases against the state and the foundation Stichting Hulptroepen Alliantie because his bank accounts had been frozen. He also claimed in a string of media interviews last month he was living off €15 a week.

Judges agreed on Tuesday he should have access to the bank account, which will give him access to some €100,000 to pay legal bills following last month’s court hearing.

Van Lienden, Bernd Damme and Camille van Gestel earned some €28.5 million between them on the face mask deal, which was brokered using Van Lieden’s government contacts. He was a prominent member of the CDA.

The trio procured 40 million masks at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, ostensibly through a non-profit organisation called Stichting Hulptroepen Alliantie. But it later emerged the bulk of the €100 million deal to supply masks to the health ministry had been routed through a limited company, Relief Goods Alliance, of which the trio were shareholders.

The foundation and the Dutch state are suing the three men to get back the money in what was two separate cases but which have now been fused into one.

The case hinges on who knew what about the commercial nature of the deal. Van Lienden had vowed from the start to become ‘screamingly rich’ from the deal, recordings obtained by the Volkskrant newspaper later revealed. Van Lienden himself claims officials were aware the deal was being routed through a limited company.

As yet, no date has been set for the court to publish its verdict.