The Dutch oil engineer that was sentenced to twenty years in jail for
whitewashing drug money for paramilitary organization AUC has
been released from prison Thursday and put under house arrest, Radio Netherlands
reported Thursday.
Henk van Bilderbeek had spent four years in jail awaiting his trial already and will be confined to his home until his appeal.
The Dutchman denies having laundered money for the AUC and says he was framed by the Colombian government after state oil company Ecopetrol decided to cancel a contract with his company Llanos oil to favor American coal company Drummond.
According to the Dutchman’s lawyer, a Dutch court last week froze seven billion euro (US$10 billion) worth of assets of Ecopetrol, after Llanos oil sued the oil company for breaching the contract. Ecopetrol denies this.
Update:
Dutchpress agency ANP reports Van Bilderbeek was not placed under house arrest, but moved to a hospital because of health issues. He will go back to jail when his health improves.