Posted on December 18, 2025
Dutch investigators raided the Noordeloos home of former Damen Shipyards CEO Kommer Damen in early December as part of a criminal investigation, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) confirmed. The agency declined to say whether the raid was directly linked to the criminal trial against Damen Shipyards and several executives that opened last week, or what items were seized.
Kommer Damen, 81, led the Gorinchem-based shipbuilder for many years and is among the executives being prosecuted. His son, Arnout Damen, the company’s current CEO, is also a suspect.
The trial began in Zwolle with a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors allege Damen exported ship components to Russia in violation of EU sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, contributing to Russia’s military and technological capabilities. The company also faces corruption charges related to alleged bribery of foreign officials to secure ship sales.
During last week’s hearing, prosecutors disclosed that two suspects had reached plea agreements, including Damen’s current marketing director and a former Curaçao port authority official.
Damen is the largest shipbuilder in the Netherlands and is considered of national strategic importance due to its naval work for NATO countries. A corruption conviction could bar the company from government contracts for at least four years. The latest court hearing was held December 11 and was mostly procedural.
