Dutch railway company NS has begun an investigation into the possibility of bribery in the purchase of new sprinter trains.

According to RTL Nieuws, the NS has hired an lawyer to look into the way in which an external consultant handled the purchasing procedure with train manufacturer Bombardier.

That consultant, named as Richard de L, was paid between €5,000 and €10,000 in 2012 by Bombardier for confidential information, RTL says. The NS would not confirm either the year or the amount ‘because they are part of the investigation’, the NRC says.

De L’s contract with the rail company was immediately suspended and his entry to the NS building and the company’s IT systems have been blocked, according to the NRC.

The lawyer is looking into all De L’s activities on behalf of the NS over the past few years and if bribery is found, the consultant will be prosecuted, the NS says.

The order for 118 new sprinters, which are used on commuter lines and will include toilets, went to the Spanish firm CAF after Bombardier withdrew from the tendering process. They are due for delivery in 2018.