UPDATE: Fine Against Rieu For Improper Use of Drone

Fine Against Rieu For Improper Use of Drone

A few setbacks for André Rieu. After a massive fine by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for "the use of child labor" by juvenile Romanian pan flute players, the prosecutor for the ministry for aviation affairs has now sanctioned the Waltz king. The reason: illegal drone flights above the Vrijthof.

Limburger, 20 May 2017 by Laurens Schellen. After almost a year of waiting for a 'decision', André Rieu's much discussed and highly technical drone has been returned. The precious unmanned airplane, weighing just a few pounds, equipped with state-of-the-art film and sound equipment was seized last summer by the police after a series of performances by Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss orchestra on the Vrijthof in Maastricht. 

Musical Film

Rieu launched the video robot in the air for the traditional Vrijthof concert recordings, for which he commissioned approximately thirty cameras. The musical film, which was also released on DVD, was shown worldwide via satellite connections as a premiere in almost two thousand theaters. Just in England alone, the film amassed in one weekend alone almost one and one half million pounds.

Flying a drone above an inner city in the Netherlands is prohibited. In addition, Maastricht is located underneath the arrival route of the airport in Beek. (Just north of Maastricht) After the seizure of the drone, it was stored in a secured depot of the National Police at Schiphol. After a lengthy investigation by the police and the aviation oversight department, the dossier was transferred to the national prosecutor for aviation affairs in Haarlem.

Fine

The latter has now made a settlement proposal in the form of a fine, which spokesperson Marleen van Fessem of the parquet of North Holland confirmed. "He has already paid the fine and in doing so prevented an appearance before a judge." Van Fessem did not want to divulge the amount of the fine. Sources estimate the fine to be roughly eight thousand Euros, currently the maximum for these sort of offenses in the Netherlands. In the meantime the public prosecutor's office has returned the drone to the Maastricht Police. "Rieu may pick it up there" says Van Fessem.

Vice president and son Pierre Rieu confirmed that the fine has been paid. He also does not want to release the amount of the fine. "But the drone is back in our possession." Rieu junior emphasizes that the drone was not flown above the people on the Vrijthof. There was in his eyes, absolutely no risk for a risky situation. Nevertheless, he says he 'understands' the actions by the police. Rieu: "We have now learned our lesson very well."

Recently Rieu also received another fine. According to the inspector for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, minor aged musicians had to perform too long during the Rieu concerts on the Vrijthof in 2015.

Thank you to John for the Article and Translation