File: /u/pd0/text.holocaust/luitjens.pensi

Vancouver (British Columbia) SUN
Dec. 30, 1992

Moira Farrow, Vancouver Sun

War criminal Jacob Luitjens can have his Canada Pension Plan cheque mailed
to him in jail in the Netherlands.

That's what the rules say, according to Gail Kossentine of the federal
health and welfare department.

But when asked about old-age security, she had bad news for someone in
Luitjens' position who has been stripped of Canadian citizenship and
deported.

Now 73, Luitjens was convicted in absentia by a Dutch war tribunal in 1948
for collaborating with the Nazis in the Netherlands during the Second World
War. He was given a life sentence but fled to Paraguay and from there came
to Canada in 1961.  

After settling in Vancouver, Luitjens became a botany instructor at the
University of B.C.

These circumstances would make possible three Canadian pension cheques for
Luitjens, who is now in jail in the Netherlands after being deported from
Canada last month for lying about his wartime activities.

They are: old-age security (commonly known as the old-age pension), paid
entirely from government funds; the additional Canadian Pension Plan, to
which individuals make contributions; and a pension from UBC.

However, a close look at the rules for each benefit indicates that Luitjens
is probably eligible for only two of the three pensions.

Kossentine declined to comment specifically on the Luitjens case because of
privacy regulations.

However, she pointed out that the old-age pension depends on three
requirements: age of 65 or more, at least 20 years of residence in Canada
after the age of 18 (if the cheque is to be mailed outside Canada) and
current legal status as either a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant.

"All these conditions have to be met for the payment to be made," said
Kossentine.

But Luitjens does not have the third requirement because he has lost his
Canadian citizenship and he's no longer an immigrant because he's been
deported.

However, Luitjens would still qualify for the Canadian Pension Plan, to
which he would have made contributions while employed at UBC.

"The size of the pension reflects the amount of contributions paid into it
from the year 1966 onwards," said Kosse3ntine. "There are no residency
requirements and the cheque can be mailed to you anywhere."

As for the UBC pension, pension plan services manager Marcelle Sprecher said
it would be paid to any retired faculty member regardless of his or her
citizenship or current residence.

She pointed out that this pension consists of contributions by the employee
and by UBC, which contributes 2 1/2 times more than employees to the plan.
She also declined to comment specifically on the Luitjens case.

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