The MP from the ruling VVD who has resigned because of an ‘integrity’ issue is suspected of fraud and money laundering, the public prosecution department said on Monday.

A mortgage provider has made a formal complaint against the man and the national police force is investigating, the prosecution department statement said.

Jan Houwers has been an MP since 2010. Prior to that he was an estate agent. Houwers told parliamentary chairwoman Anouchka van Miltenburg he was resigning in a letter earlier on Monday.

Mortgages

In the letter, Houwers says he is being investigated for giving wrong information about his income to a mortgage company prior to becoming an MP but denies any wrongdoing.

According to business magazine Quote, Houwers has three mortages from financial services group Aegon totalling €1.3m on his home in Winterswijk.

The VVD is currently dealing with another integrity issue surrounding former senator and Roermond council alderman Jos van Rey, who is suspected of corruption.

The party said in May it planned to introduce an integrity statement which all members hoping to hold office would be asked to sign.

The VVD has 41 MPs and is the biggest party in parliament. The place of a parliamentarian who resigns is usually taken by the next person on the party list from the September general election.