WILLEMSTAD - Gerrit Schotte demands sole custody of his children now that their mother is serving her sentence in the SDKK prison. The wish of the former prime minister is a trick to stay out of prison himself.
Cicely van der Dijs has to serve nine months for her role in the Babel case, where she was found guilty of money laundering, among other things. Schotte has already been behind bars for the same Babel case, but can go to prison again if he cannot cough up 1.8 million guilders that the Public Prosecution Service requires of him in the confiscation case after Babel. He then faces three years in prison.
It is a thorn in the side of Van der Dijs that her ex-husband is now taking advantage of the situation. He looks after his own interests. He wants to make sure he won't go to prison again.
Van der Dijs herself made several attempts to avoid serving her sentence by means of suspension and postponement requests. They have always been rejected.
Cicely van der Dijs will probably be released n February 2023, after she has served two-thirds of her sentence.