The Netherlands asks Dubai for extradition of fallen Brabant real estate boss Roger Lips

Roger Lips (59) failed to attend the first day of his long-awaited trial on Tuesday on suspicion of bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. His wife and co-suspect Astrid van Sluisveld (57) also did not show up at the East Netherlands court in Zwolle. The couple moved to Dubai almost ten years ago, together with their five children.

The Public Prosecution Service will neither confirm nor deny the extradition request. “We do not comment on extradition requests,” said a spokesperson. Lawyer Thijs Kelder does not want to respond ‘to substantive questions about the case’.

The lack of a (now expired) Dutch passport is an important reason for his client’s absence, lawyer Kelder said in court on Tuesday morning. Lips would have a ‘different passport’. The expected arrest after arrival is also ‘not an attractive prospect’. Van Sluisveld’s wife also no longer has a valid Dutch passport, according to her lawyer Carolien Noorduyn. Lips is still active in real estate in Dubai.

Shelter Dubai

The couple’s lawyers asked on Tuesday to interrogate the two, but by video link to their hiding place in Dubai. Public prosecutor Martin Lambregts rejected that possibility. ‘The two can simply come to Zwolle. But they just don’t want to, because they fear bankruptcy. Suspects create a problem themselves. They want the benefits of the Dutch legal community (with a video interrogation, ed.), but not the burdens.’

It now appears that the Public Prosecution Service of the Emirate of Dubai has already asked for Lips’ forced relocation. Since 2021, the Netherlands has had an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a part. Before the signing, then Minister of Justice Ferdinand Grapperhaus said that the treaty put an end to the possibility for criminals to hide their crime money in Dubai. Since then, suspected drug traffickers Ridouan T. and Quincy Promes have been arrested in Dubai at the request of the Netherlands. The first is now in a Dutch cell, the second is still in Dubai.

Vanished fleet

On their flight abroad, the Lips couple withdrew at least 11 million euros from the bankruptcy, according to the Public Prosecution Service. That amount includes the disappeared fleet of 2 million euros (including four Porsches, an Aston Martin and a Ferrari) and a chalet in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana with an excess value of 3.5 million euros (which was transferred to the children was passed on). A sum of 5 million euros also disappeared to Dubai. With that wealth, Lips is guilty of money laundering ‘to this day’, according to prosecutors.

Lips, through his lawyers, denies that he siphoned off assets prior to the bankruptcy to unlawfully remove them from the control of creditors. At that time he was busy ‘keeping the tent up’, according to his lawyer. Bankruptcy applications from the banks SNS Reaal and ABN Amro put an end to business conglomerate Lips Capital Group and affiliates.

Private jet

Lips built up a real estate portfolio whose value would approach 2 billion euros. This involved shops and commercial buildings, but also offices and homes. From the impressive Villa Craijenstein head office in Vught, he usually made a big statement. Lips’ private jet was auctioned in 2014 at the request of bank BNP Paribas. The proceeds were approximately 2.5 million euros. The family’s modern villa in Uden was sold in 2015 for 800 thousand euros. That amount was insufficient to pay the mortgage debt on the home of 20 million euros.

The collapse of Lips’ real estate company from 2013 led to a debt of more than 300 million euros, of which 100 million euros for Lips privately. Major creditor SNS Reaal collapsed partly due to the generous financing of the real estate partnership with Lips. The bank had lent 124 million euros, among other things, for the construction of The Wall, the 800-meter-long shopping center along the A2 highway. That building and noise barrier was later sold for only 50 million euros. SNS Reaal had to be rescued by the Dutch State in 2013. The banking branch is now called De Volksbank.

The criminal hearing, which will last several weeks, was preceded by several hundred lawsuits, in a heated battle between Lips and, among others, the trustees (who have to handle the bankruptcy). Prior to his sentencing to 8 months in prison for obstructing the settlement of the bankruptcy, he had been held hostage for several weeks. This also happened in the hope that he would still come through with additional information. He then moved to the emirate on the Persian Gulf with his wife and children.