THE HAGUE, 17/09/08 - A policeman in the Rotterdam police corps has been unmasked as a spy for the Moroccan intelligence service. He led a project that was training immigrant youngsters as airport workers.

TV current affairs programme NOVA discovered that the man of Moroccan origin had already been sacked last spring. Although the police confirmed that the man was dismissed for "serious dereliction of duty," the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) decided not to prosecute him. The case has been hushed up by criminal investigation authorities and politicians, according to NOVA.

The officer, Re Lemhaouli, had a leading post. He was the initiator of Project Maxima, named after Princess Maxima. The project trained 57 Moroccan problem youngsters as ground personnel for Rotterdam Airport.

Princess Maxima, the wife of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, was ambassador of the project and Lemhaouli was allowed to sit next to her during the presentation of the project on 1 February. Vice-Premier Andre Rouvoet praised Lemhaouli in a speech. "The participants in this project who are receiving their diploma today were a few weeks ago still considered as 'deprived youngsters.' Education not completed, no work experience and in some cases, also a criminal record," said Rouvoet.

According to NOVA, the Dutch AIVD secret service discovered last spring following a tipoff that Lemhaouli was a spy for the Moroccan secret service. What information he passed on NOVA was unable to discover. The Dutch authorities are refusing to give any information whatever about the case.

The programme suggests that the OM did not prosecute him because this could generate negative publicity about the 'multicultural society'. NOVA also said the case may have led to the replacement of diplomats at the Moroccan embassy in The Hague.