The Dutch authority House for Whistleblowers has published an investigation report on an employee of a public research organisation. The investigation concerned suspected misconduct by the director of this organisation. The director was alleged to have failed to take action in relation to an incident involving unauthorised access to a document.
House for Whistleblowers found that the organisation’s internal investigation had been carried out inadequately and indicated that external specialists should have been involved in the situation under review. Furthermore, the whistleblower was not informed about the internal investigation and its results.
The House for Whistleblowers is an institution established in 2016 in the Netherlands. It consists of an advisory chamber and an investigation chamber. A whistleblower can turn to the advisory chamber for guidance in dealing with irregularities. Before launching an investigation, an attempt should be made to solve the problem internally. If the whistleblower’s actions do not have the desired effect, the whistleblower can report to the investigation chamber. This division can either conduct its own investigation (for both private and public sector cases) or refer the case to the public prosecutor’s office.