Dutch king pardons cocaine smuggler

Questions have been raised by MPs and legal experts about the decision to grant a pardon to former Dutch television presenter and convicted cocaine smuggler Frank Masmeijer. He was released from a jail in Nieuwegein where he was spending the last 18 months of his 9 year sentence. The pardon was signed by king Willem-Alexander and legal protection minister Franc Weerwind.

Masmeijer initially denied all, but later admitted to having had a role in the smuggling of hundreds of kilos of cocaine through the port of Antwerp. The king is the only person able to grant pardons, but decisions are based on recommendation of the justice minister. The justice ministry has refused to answer questions about the pardon.