Over 54,000 euros is said to have stolen former treasurer Chris Planje from the club fund of veterans and military association Ouwestomp from Den Bosch in recent years. That is what the chairman of Ouwestomp claimed in June 2021. But the Public Prosecution Service has now come to the conclusion that Planje has not embezzled any money, much to the relief of the former treasurer.
Since his arrest in June 2021, Chris Planje has kept his mouth shut about the accusation. “I have been silent in all languages. Until the Public Prosecution Service has formed its decision. And that is now, two years later,” says Planje. “But I knew all along that I was innocent.”
A few days after Planje’s arrest, the chairman of the foundation said that Planje would have stolen a ‘considerable amount of money’ from the treasury. Now it appears that it would be 54,000 euros. “The chairman had written down every amount that I have withdrawn with the money from the foundation in recent years. Then you arrive at that amount. He told the police that I pinned for private matters,” says Planje. “But that is not the case.”
Notable transactions
According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the police indeed saw striking transactions in which money from the foundation was spent. But there were no clear agreements about the expenses of the foundation. Partly because of this, the judiciary cannot say whether there is criminal embezzlement. “Amounts were also transferred from his account to the foundation by the suspect. The impression has arisen that Planje has been a kind of ‘walking greenhouse’ of the foundation,” explains a spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service.
The Veteran Meeting Center Ouwestomp is a home base for veterans of the Ministry of Defence. The center also includes a museum with items related to the post-war period and veterans. According to the former treasurer, a lot of money is needed for that. “I had to buy a trailer. And for the museum I have bought display cases and stuff in recent years. But the free coffee and tea for the veterans also costs a lot of money on an annual basis,” says Planje.
Reparation
The former treasurer has not only lost his job at the foundation because of the case, but also many acquaintances and business contacts. “The case has now been dropped, but many people don’t know that. It is not clear to everyone that I am innocent.”
Planje intends to start a civil procedure for libel and defamation against the current chairman of the Ouwestomp Foundation. “I want my good name back.”