TO: Google thanks to kickbacks to Eemshaven – NOS

Google is possible in 2010 with a bribe to the Eemshaven in Groningen met. In the period 2008 to 2010 would be 1.7 million euros paid by real estate developer TCN and the owner Rudy Stroink on an American Google-director. Who conducted the negotiations about locations for new data centers.

That writes the FD. The newspaper relies on the writ of summons against the old-vastgoedtycoon Rudy Stroink and American court documents from an ongoing criminal case against the ex-Google director, Simon Tusha.

The suspects Stroink of bribery, money laundering, forgery and membership of a criminal organisation. Google would have to bribe to get in Eemshaven its first data center building. That was a relatively small datahotel on land that is leased was of TCN.

Suspicious payments

According TO Google-director Tusha part of a criminal organization, along with TCN and Stroink. Tusha state in the US visit for tax evasion and receiving bribes. He has a confession taken, the right hand is doing in a January statement.

In the period July 2008 to march 2010, a dozen suspicious payments made TCN to Tusha, through intermediaries, and the British Virgin islands. Tusha worked but one year at Google, from 2008 to 2009. He would also be for the construction of a datacenter in the United Kingdom have to pay.

In a response says Stroink “not to understand”. He wants a and other out and hopes the coming days for more to hear. Monday, he and his wife are before the court in Almelo appear.

TCN went in 2012, bankrupt. Stroink was until the end of 2010 director. The real estate company had in its best, 2.5 billion euros to projects in his charge, including the media park in Hilversum.

600 million

In 2012, decided to Google a second and larger data centre in the Eemshaven to build on own purchased land. The construction of that centre is almost ready. According to Google, this new location has nothing to do with the smeergeldaffaire; the group sees itself as a victim in the omkopingszaak.

Until the construction of the new data center of Google, according to Google, decided long after the departure of the managing director who is at the omkoopaffaire was involved. The decision went on for two years of negotiations in advance.

In september 2014 was the arrival of the new data center of Google announced and took the shovel in the ground. It is the fourth data center of Google in Europe. Google has 44 acres of ground have been purchased. An investment of 600 million euros and work for 1,000 men for the construction. There will be about 150 people work. On december 6, the data center opened by minister Kamp of Economic Affairs.