The Limburg landscape foundation IKL has paid a total of 1.8 million euros to the companies of the then IKL director Herman Vrehen. The flow of funds to the former deputy’s own companies in Limburg is therefore greater than was previously known. This is apparent from an investigation by the trustee of the Foundation for the Conservation of Small Landscape Elements (IKL), which was declared bankrupt last year.
One of the largest financiers of IKL was the province of Limburg. The political commotion surrounding the IKL affair led to the departure of the entire Executive Board in April last year.
Curator is still investigating
NRC revealed in March last year that Vrehen, as IKL director, hired employees through his own employment agencies, had IKL purchase products from its own company and hired himself at a rate that was higher than allowed by the CBF, the supervisor of charities in the Netherlands. NRC wrote at the time that several hundred thousand euros had ended up in Vrehen’s own pocket.
Read the research story how ex-deputy Herman Vrehen channeled subsidy money but his own BVs
Curator Reinoud van Oeijen now reports in his public report that in the period 2015 up to and including 31 March 2021 “a total amount of approximately 1.8 million euros” went to companies of the former director. The trustee is still investigating ‘the basis and justification of the amounts paid’.
Van Oeijen has examined the foundation’s administration in recent months. He was also given access to a hitherto undisclosed report from accountant BDO. Just before the bankruptcy, that agency carried out forensic investigations on behalf of the supervisory board of IKL.
Management fee
The 1.8 million euros includes the management fee of approximately EUR 7 million that Vrehen received with the knowledge of the supervisory board. In addition, about 1.1 million euros flowed to his companies.
A report published last year by research agency GITP already showed that Vrehen was guilty of a conflict of interest and that the supervisory board of IKL was not aware of all the assignments that the director had given to his own BVs.
Herman Vrehen was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.
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