A weapons trader implicated in an earlier corruption scandal was involved in the decision to buy a new service pistol for the Dutch police force, the Volkskrant reports on Friday



An agent for Arnhem-based weapons wholesaler TBM was involved in a controversial tender for police pepper spray in 2002, the paper says. That tendering process is currently the focus of a corruption investigation.

TBM is the Dutch agent for Sig Sauer, which is supplying the new police weapon and the same agent is also involved, the paper says.

According to US legal papers, the agent is said to have altered the specifications for the pepper spray to ensure TBM won the contract.

The same agent has also been involved in drawing up the material specifications for the new pistol.

However, the justice ministry has looked into the tendering process for the gun and found no irregularities, the paper says.

Nos television, however, reports that police unions are unhappy with the choice of new gun. Testers preferred a different type.