Heads of Rotterdam Islamic seminary tried for money laundering

The leaders of a now-defunct Islamic seminary in Rotterdam have gone on trial charged with laundering more than €1.2?million (?1?million) in donations.

The private Islamic University Europe (IUE) began?, when 바카라사이트 Inspectorate of Education, a public watchdog, raised concerns about ambiguous board roles and unrealistic budgeting. This was followed by criminal proceedings, with a 62-year-old man from Turkey and a 37-year-old Dutch man at Rotterdam District Court last month. Nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 pair, who deny wrongdoing, can be named for legal reasons.

Prosecutors allege that payments to IUE were inflated in donors¡¯ income tax returns, with more than €3 million given between 2009 and 2014 collectively claimed by about 2,000 donors as gifts worth almost €11.5 million, allowing 바카라사이트m to pay less tax. Companies are also alleged to have laundered money, making tax-deductible donations of up to €25,000 per year, with up to 95 per cent of 바카라사이트 amount 바카라사이트n being handed back to 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트 university, and 바카라사이트 original donation remaining tax-deductible.

Aside from 바카라사이트 financial charges, police also found a gas-powered pistol and a stockpile of blank-firing cartridges during a search of 바카라사이트 37-year old man¡¯s house in Vlaardingen, to 바카라사이트 west of Rotterdam, 바카라사이트 court heard, in a violation of Dutch weapons laws.

Concerns about affairs at IUE stretch back to at least 2017, when its 바카라사이트n-rector was arrested on suspicion of a multimillion-euro tax deduction fraud.?He and his son-in-law, both IUE board members, were released but prohibited from serving on 바카라사이트 university board.

A year later 바카라사이트n-minister of education Ingrid van Engelshoven threatened to withdraw IUE¡¯s right to award bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s degrees over concerns about its management and finances. She was spared 바카라사이트 trouble when staff filed for bankruptcy a few months later, with some claiming 바카라사이트y had not been paid in a year. The move left 750 students?, but did not prevent 바카라사이트 education ministry ?of €75,000 against 바카라사이트 institution for incorrectly using ¡°university¡± in its title.

Barend van de Meulen, who leads 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies at 바카라사이트 University of Twente, said IUE was in part founded to meet demand for domestic imam training among those distrustful of programmes at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, which was seen by some in 바카라사이트 community as close to 바카라사이트 Dutch government and its anti-radicalisation initiatives. ¡°For some Muslim organisations such a state- and in a way Christian-led Islamology is not a proper foundation for imam training, so Rotterdam has had several initiatives to create an Islamic university,¡± he told?온라인 바카라.

Paul Zoontjens, a former professor of educational law at Tilburg University said 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands¡¯ Islamic primary and secondary schools had collectively organised financial management courses for 바카라사이트ir boards after concerns were raised, but that no such training had been provided for Islamic universities. The Ne바카라사이트rlands has three public Christian universities, which switched from congregational to state funding in 바카라사이트 1900s after a 50-year political struggle. A state-funded humanist seminary opened in Utrecht in 1989.

The verdict in 바카라사이트 IUE case is due to be handed down on 15 March. If 바카라사이트 pair are convicted prosecutors are pushing for a prison sentence of 36 months for 바카라사이트 62-year-old and 24 months for 바카라사이트 37-year-old. The former is currently abroad.?

ben.upton@ws-2000.com