Scheek considers the ruling an important confirmation of the RvC’s actions. According to him, the board sought to carry out its statutory responsibilities throughout the governance conflict.
“For TAS, this finally means calm and certainty,” the chairman told journalists. He stressed that attention must now primarily be directed towards the functioning of the organisation, restoring services and providing financial accountability.
Investigation into the spending of TAS funds
According to Scheek, an important point of attention for the RvC is the financial management of the telecom authority. The board wants to examine how funds were spent in previous years and whether there were any irregularities.
Scheek criticised expenditure that, according to him, was incurred in the past on, among other things, official travel and other costs he describes as improper.
He stated that under the current supervision, the organisation has been able to retain more financial resources than during comparable periods in previous years.
“We are therefore now going to draw up the accounts of where the funds have gone all these years,” Scheek said.
According to the chairman, the announced investigations must clarify which financial transactions took place and who was responsible for them.
He does not rule out that individuals will be held liable if investigations show that they were responsible for unlawful conduct.
The allegations concerning improper expenditure are, for now, statements by the RvC. No completed investigation results establishing any possible financial irregularities were presented during the explanation.
TAS services normalised since Thursday
According to questions raised during the press briefing, the governance conflict also had consequences for entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector. The processing of applications and approvals for imported equipment, among other things, is said to have been delayed.
It was pointed out that entrepreneurs may incur additional costs when goods cannot be released on time because documents or approvals are missing.
Scheek acknowledged that certain matters had been delayed. According to him, the RvC first had to inform and reassure staff. It was also necessary to examine which decisions and documents had been processed during the administrative transition.
Among other things, the board reviewed documents signed by Jap-A-Joe and approvals granted by her after her statutory term of appointment had expired.
According to Scheek, matters that had been processed in time and lawfully were continued as normal. Other matters were corrected where necessary.
He stated that services have been normalised again since Thursday, 29 October.
Applications and other documents are being processed as soon as possible, according to him, to prevent citizens and entrepreneurs from unnecessarily incurring additional costs.
The chairman acknowledged that not all problems that have arisen can be resolved immediately. According to him, consultations will have to take place with the competent authorities regarding any damage and how it will be handled.
Court confirms earlier ruling against Jap-A-Joe
On Friday, the Hof van Justitie confirmed the ruling by cantonal judge Robert Praag of 26 October 2026, with an addition to the legal grounds. According to TAS lawyer Gerold Sewcharan, the court addressed each of the seven grounds of appeal put forward by Jap-A-Joe separately.
The lawyer stated that the court confirmed that her statutory term of appointment expired on 19 October 2026 and that, on the basis of the legal provisions, the RvC is temporarily acting as the management body.
The employment agreement of 1 November 2021 was also extensively discussed. According to Sewcharan, the court ruled that the prescribed legal procedure was not followed in concluding this agreement.
This concerns, among other things, the required involvement of the responsible minister and the approval of the Raad van Ministers.
The employment agreement remains suspended for the time being. A final ruling on its invalidity or legal validity is reserved for possible proceedings on the merits.
Jap-A-Joe was also ordered to pay the legal costs of the appeal.
The upheld ruling stipulates, among other things, that she may not carry out any acts on behalf of TAS, may not enter the TAS building and must carry out the prescribed administrative handover.
Key News previously reported extensively on the court’s ruling and the legal consequences for Jap-A-Joe.
RvC takes further legal steps into account
Despite the court’s ruling, Scheek is taking into account new legal or other steps by the opposing party. He did not wish to comment on measures the RvC may have prepared, but stressed that the board is considering various scenarios.
According to Scheek, the national interest must remain paramount, regardless of what further steps are taken. The chairman also sees the ruling as confirmation of the importance of independent oversight within government institutions.
He called on other supervisory boards to take their responsibilities seriously and ensure that administrators account for their actions.
Investigation results will be made public
The RvC intends to continue working in the coming period on financial oversight, investigation into earlier decisions and improvement of the internal organisation.
Scheek indicated that the public will be informed at a later stage about the investigations carried out and their results.
Once there is sufficient clarity regarding the possible liability of the individuals involved, that information will also be shared with the public, according to him.
The chairman stressed that although TAS is an independent administrative body with legal personality, the management of its resources remains a public responsibility.
According to him, it must therefore be made clear how the available financial resources were spent and how the organisation can pursue prudent financial policy in the future.
