21 Facts About Willem Oltmans

Willem Leonard Oltmans was a Dutch investigative journalist and author active in international politics.

Willem Oltmans studied at Nyenrode Business University and Yale University, without graduating.

Willem Oltmans was a close confidant of both Beatrix and Gertrude Buringh Boekhoudt who had been Crown Princess Beatrix's tutor since April 1951.

Willem Oltmans married in 1955 and worked as a freelance reporter in Rome in 1956 for De Telegraaf when he interviewed and befriended Indonesian president Sukarno during Sukarno's trip to Italy in 1956.

Willem Oltmans claimed to have prevented a Dutch war against Indonesia over New Guinea by sending a memo to US president.

Luns, who now had become Willem Oltmans' nemesis, called him a 'one engine mosquito'.

Willem Oltmans fought a long lawsuit against the Dutch state, which he eventually won.

Willem Oltmans was based in the US in the 1960s, where he worked as a reporter for Dutch TV broadcaster NOS and lobbied members of the President Kennedy's administration regarding New Guinea.

Joseph Luns, who was a prominent Dutch diplomat, vehemently opposed this transfer and subsequently had Willem Oltmans declared persona non grata for life.

On 15 October 1967, Willem Oltmans interviewed the de Mohrenschildts for NOS which resulted in a 40-minute film that was the only full-length filmed interview of George de Mohrenschildt.

In 1977, De Mohrenschildt agreed to disclose information to Willem Oltmans, but disappeared from their meeting place and was found dead in Florida a few weeks later.

Willem Oltmans stated that a taped recording of the event existed in which footsteps can be heard, followed by the sound of a shotgun discharging, and then footsteps heard again.

Willem Oltmans revealed that De Mohrenschildt, whom he had known for ten years, had told him that there had been a conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy and that he had played a role in the conspiracy.

Willem Oltmans played the role of De Mohrenschildt in Oliver Stone's 1991 film about the assassination, JFK.

Also in the '80s, Willem Oltmans actively interfered with the postcolonial Dutch-Suriname relationship.

Willem Oltmans recognised a bilateral relationship based in negative sentiments similar to the Dutch-Indonesian relationship.

Intent on playing a mediating role Willem Oltmans traveled to Suriname to interview military dictator Bouterse.

Willem Oltmans published a book that was banned in Suriname and misunderstood in the Netherlands.

Willem Oltmans had visited the country regularly and in 1990 decided to settle there permanently.

Willem Oltmans's investigative reporting was not appreciated by the shaky South African regime of the time and in August 1992, he was deported to Jordan on charges of espionage.

Willem Oltmans always insisted the Dutch Security Service was involved in his deportation.