An agent of the Province of Namur is said to have embezzled nearly 1.9 million euros over several years, the Namur public prosecutor’s office said on Saturday, confirming information from L’Avenir.
The first suspicions of embezzlement were made public at the end of August. Initially, the agent who operated in the financial department of the provincial institution was suspected of having embezzled around 380,000 euros. A financial audit then made it possible to highlight new frauds, for a total amount which would therefore approach 1.9 million euros.
An audit carried out by the company Deloitte reveals that the province of Namur was the victim of a much greater embezzlement than initially estimated. The Namur public prosecutor’s office confirms this information.
The province of Namur is at the heart of a major financial fraud case. According to an audit commissioned from the company Deloitte, the amount of the embezzlement, which initially flirted with 380,000 euros, actually amounted to 1.9 million euros. François, the provincial agent suspected of being the perpetrator, is currently under arrest warrant. He is notably accused of having orchestrated hundreds of fraudulent transactions for his benefit over a period of several years.
“The audit concludes that 1.9 million euros were misappropriated”affirms Georges Balon-Perin, provincial councilor of the opposition (Ecolo) to our colleagues at Sudinfo, after consulting the report. The latter details 428 suspicious transactions, a figure which remains to be confirmed by the courts, as underlined by Jean-Marc Van Espen (MR), deputy president of the Province. “Our financial director believes that the embezzlement is less significant. These figures have not yet been cross-checked by the ongoing investigation,” he then explains.
Flaws in the control system
The audit would highlight significant flaws in the Province’s financial processes. Georges Balon-Perin describes a “rapport assassin” which denounces weaknesses in internal controls, particularly in payment management. “It seems that internally, too many people are responsible for control. Some people tend to trust others too much”adds Jean-Marc Van Espen.
François’ modus operandi would have consisted of manipulating the bank account numbers on the payment mandates, thus diverting funds intended for the Province’s suppliers. Multiple account numbers “fraudulent” would have been used to conceal these irregularities, and certain fraudulent transactions would have escaped accounting for more than 12 years.
Pointed political responsibilities
Accusations of mismanagement on the part of the opposition are not long in coming, especially as the provincial elections approach. Georges Balon-Perin insists on the fact that “these transactions took place almost exclusively during the last two legislatures, under the responsibility of the MR”. He particularly points the finger at Jean-Marc Van Espen, in charge of finances, believing that the lack of rigor in the financial management of the Province has allowed such abuses.
“The organizational difficulties and the lack of staff within the financial department were known. Now, it is up to everyone to take their responsibilities”he says, even suggesting that in the private sector, such an affair would have resulted in direct dismissal.
An ongoing investigation and political tensions
Jean-Marc Van Espen, however, defends the management of the Province by affirming that transparency has always been a priority. “We ourselves requested the audit to discover the modus operandi, but also to correct our procedures if necessary. Criminally, I am not responsible and I have already said that if my political responsibility was demonstrated, I would take responsibility. For the moment, this is not the case.”he retorts.
Tensions between the two political camps are exacerbated by the timing of this revelation, just a few days before the provincial elections. Georges Balon-Perin criticizes the administration for not having organized an extraordinary meeting to discuss the report before the vote. “This is unacceptable. Citizens must have all the information to express their vote with full knowledge of the facts”he says.
For his part, Jean-Marc Van Espen judges this electoral attack. “Tackling our finances! We are in a bonus and the debt is reduced by half without taking a cent from the citizens’ pockets”he defends.
The audit will be officially discussed during the provincial council on October 18, after the elections.
embezzlement province of namur
