David van Weel

Dutch Minister of Justice and Security

Appears in 1 story

Office: Minister of Justice and Security

Born: August 4, 1976, Rotterdam

Party: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

Education: Gymnasium Erasmianum, Royal Netherlands Naval College

Previous offices: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

Last updated Nov 1, 2026

Stories

EU suspends Sierra Leone budget support over Dutch extradition dispute

Money Moves

As of October 2026: Pushed the European Commission to suspend Sierra Leone aid; announced the freeze publicly

The European Commission halted €18 million in budget payments to Sierra Leone, a freeze Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel says punishes the West African state for sheltering Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch cocaine trafficker on Europol's wanted list. Leijdekkers has been sentenced in absentia to more than 100 years across Belgium and the Netherlands, and the €18 million is part of €352 million the EU budgeted for Sierra Leone from 2021 to 2027.

Updated Oct 4