THE Dutch public prosecutor is to take the former Port of Rotterdam Authority president Willem Scholten to court, after an investigation lasting more than four years, writes Helen Hill. Proceedings will open on October 29, although the court case will not take place until early 2009.Mr Scholten resigned in August 2004 after 12 years at the port authority.The public prosecutor said that Mr Scholten, “in the name of the harbour company”, gave guarantees for loans to RDM, the former shiprepair yard, during the period between 2002-2004, “although he did not have the authority to do it”.Mr Scholten had also acquired shares in the vessel SS Rotterdam and had agreed a loan, the prosecutor added in the statement.Giving the guarantees and loans, and buying the shares, had not been announced or talked about insidethe harbour company, the localgovernment or within the municipal council of Rotterdam, the prosecutor said.The allegations against Mr Scholten are: signing of fa