Jos van Rey

Jozef Franciscus Bernard "Jos" van Rey (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjoːzəf frɑnˈsɪskʏz ˈbɛrnɑr ˈcɔs fɑn ˈrɛi];[1] born 15 April 1945) is a Dutch businessman and politician from Roermond. He has been a member of the municipal council of Roermond for the Liberal People's Party Roermond since 2014 and a member of the States of Limburg for the People's Party Limburg since 2015.

Jos van Rey
Jos van Rey in 1987
Member of the States of Limburg
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 March 2015
In office 18 April 1995 – 16 December 2011
In office 2 June 1982 – October 1982
Member of the municipal council of Roermond
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 March 2014
In office 1 January 1991 – 25 May 2002
In office 3 September 1974 – 29 April 1986
Member of the Senate
In office 7 June 2011 – 23 October 2012
Alderman of Roermond
In office April 1998 – 23 October 2012
In office November 1979 – October 1982
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 11 January 1991 – 19 May 1998
In office 16 September 1982 – 14 September 1989
Personal details
Born	Jozef Franciscus Bernard van Rey 15 April 1945 Roermond, Netherlands
Political party	Liberal People's Party Roermond (2013–present) People's Party Limburg (2015–present)
Other political affiliations	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (1965–2013)
Residence	Herten, Netherlands

For the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Van Rey was a member of the municipal council of Roermond (1974–1986; 1991–2002), an alderman of Roermond (1979–1982; 1998–2012), a member of the States of Limburg (1982; 1995–2011), a member of the House of Representatives (1982–1989; 1991–1998), and member of the Senate (2011–2012). In 2013, he was expelled from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy after co-founding the Liberal People's Party Roermond.

Between 2012 and 2016, he was investigated for political corruption. In 2016 and 2017, he was convicted for bribery, disclosure of confidential information, electoral fraud, and money laundering. He received a suspended prison sentence of one year and was disqualified to hold public office for two years.

Early life

Jozef Franciscus Bernard van Rey was born on 15 April 1945 in Roermond in the Netherlands.[2]

Business

Van Rey has worked in insurance since 1965. He founded an insurance company named after himself, Jos van Rey, and was director between 1975 and October 1982. He is the owner of a real estate company named after himself, Jos van Rey Vastgoed BV.[2]

Politics

Van Rey became a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in 1965.[2]

Between 1974 and 2012, he had several and sometimes concurrent positions in the municipality of Roermond, the province of Limburg, and the Netherlands for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He was a member of the municipal council of Roermond (1974–1986; 1991–2002), an alderman of Roermond (1979–1982; 1998–2012), a member of the States of Limburg (1982; 1995–2011), a member of the House of Representatives (1982–1989; 1991–1998), and member of the Senate (2011–2012).[2]

Following the start of the investigation into political corruption in 2012, Van Rey resigned as alderman and senator.[3]

In 2013, he co-founded the Liberal People's Party Roermond (LVR), after which he was expelled from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) due to a conflict of interest.[4] In 2014, Van Rey was installed as a member of the Municipal Council in Roermond for the LVR.[5]

In 2015, he was installed as a member of the States of Limburg for the People's Party Limburg.[2]

Corruption investigation and conviction

Between 2012 and 2016, Van Rey was investigated for political corruption and prosecuted for bribery, disclosure of confidential information, and electoral fraud.[2][6][7][8] The criminal trial started in the court of Rotterdam on 4 April 2016.[9] Van Rey was convicted for two counts of bribery, one count of disclosure of confidential information, and one count of electoral fraud and he received a community sentence of 240 hours on 12 July 2016.[10][11] On 20 December 2017, the Court of Appeal of The Hague gave Van Rey a twelve months' suspended prison sentence and disqualified him from holding public office for the duration of two years, for bribery, disclosure of confidential information, electoral fraud and money laundering.[12]

References

1. In isolation, Franciscus, Bernard, Jos and van are pronounced [frɑnˈsɪskʏs], [ˈbɛrnɑrt], [jɔs] and [vɑn], respectively.
2. J.F.B. (Jos) van Rey (in Dutch), Parlement & Politiek. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
3. "Van Rey (VVD) wethouder en Eerste Kamerlid af" (in Dutch), Parlement & Politiek, 23 October 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
4. "Van Rey geroyeerd als lid VVD Roermond" (in Dutch), De Telegraaf, 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
5. "Jos van Rey geïnstalleerd als raadslid" (in Dutch), De Telegraaf, 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
6. "Van Rey wil Teeven en Opstelten laten horen" (in Dutch), de Volkskrant, 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
7. Joep Dohmen & Paul van der Steen, "Verdediging wil Opstelten en Teeven horen in zaak-Van Rey" (in Dutch), NRC Handelsblad, 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
8. "Corruptiezaak VVD'er Van Rey voor de rechter" (in Dutch), De Telegraaf, 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
9. Saskia Belleman, "Megastrafzaak tegen Van Rey van start" (in Dutch), De Telegraaf, 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
10. Peter de Graaf, "Jos van Rey: een beetje corrupt" (in Dutch), de Volkskrant, 13 July 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
11. Rechtbank Rotterdam, "Uitspraakdocument megazaak San José" (in Dutch), Rechtspraak.nl, 12 July 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
12. "Jos van Rey krijgt voorwaardelijke celstraf van één jaar voor corruptieschandaal". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 December 2017.