More than six tons darkened at the municipality of The Hague | Inland

At the end of November last year, the municipality already reported the suspicion of theft and embezzlement after finding financial irregularities at a payment terminal in the Escamp district office. The payment terminal, which came into use in 2019, was intended for making cash payments for products provided at the counter, such as passports and driving licenses. Counter staff ensure that there is sufficient change available in the payment terminal. If there is insufficient change in stock, change is ordered from Brinks.

“An internal employee found that the amount of money in the safe in the payment area was very low compared to what was in the cash register according to the accounts,” writes the commission in an earlier letter to the council that has now been made public. “After this signal, the option to order money is immediately discontinued. There has also been a count of the amount of cash in the safe in the counting room. As a result, the suspicion of irregularities arose. An investigation was immediately started into the explanation for the cash difference. This investigation showed that the volume of change orders had increased significantly in recent months. This increase is not in proportion to the cash payments on the payment terminal, nor to the amount of money deposited via Brinks. As a result of the outcome of this investigation, the payment terminal has been inoperative. ” The municipality itself also conducted an integrity investigation which showed that an employee did not act in accordance with the code of conduct, work agreements and the work process in particular. At the end of December this investigation was completed and the official was fired.

False invoices

The incident is not an isolated incident. There is a lawsuit against a municipal controller suspected of having paid 1.7 million euros in false invoices from the municipal treasury. Last year, a top civil servant resigned after an integrity investigation because of not acting transparently in the construction of the Amare cultural complex. “A new integrity scandal in The Hague!” Said Robert Barker, party chairman of the Party for the Animals. “In one year, 6 tons have been darkened. It is incomprehensible that this can take place in the municipal organization. The leak in The Hague is not over yet. ”

The Board awaits the results of the criminal investigation and, if prosecuted, will join the criminal proceedings as an aggrieved party. In addition, the municipal audit service has been asked to immediately audit the money flows and the related money flows within the Client Contact Center of the municipality of The Hague. Both suspects have since been released pending the investigation.

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