According to the public prosecutor, a 63-year-old man from Culemborg has illegally enriched himself by cheating with care money. He filled in the timesheets incorrectly for clients in Assen and Hoogeveen, as a result of which he unjustly received PGB money. The man partially confessed.
The forgery took place over a period of more than three years: from the beginning of 2017 to October 2020. Then the man was arrested by the municipality of Hoogeveen after a report. More than 445,000 euros would have been collected in this way.
According to a calculation, almost 108,000 euros of this can be regarded as actually obtained illegally. This part was also admitted by the suspect. The man must repay this amount, according to the public prosecutor. In addition, he demanded community service of 240 hours and a suspended prison sentence of five months.
The case came to light through a random check in 2020 by the municipality of Hoogeveen. Care money was paid to a resident of that municipality. The inspectors noticed that, year after year, declarations were made for nine half-days a week. There was never any illness or vacation. The care provider was the suspect from Culemborg. The resident was heard and he said that he no longer had any guidance from April 2017, but claims were still being made for a year.
De Hoogevener said that he filled in the timesheets himself, but this was done under pressure from the suspect. The debts of the Hoogevener were paid from this money. He was not allowed to tell anything about this, otherwise he would end up in prison.
The police investigated the care practices of the man from Culemborg. At his house, the agents found timesheets, also from a father and a son from Assen. It was striking that on almost 200 days on which care was provided in Assen, money was withdrawn in Culemborg or abroad. There could have been no provision of care on that day, the prosecutor said.
The man from Culemborg coordinated the implementation with the care seekers in Assen. The money was used for private purposes. Or funneled into the accounts of the suspect’s children to avoid seizure. “PGB funds have been grossly misused. This is tax money paid by fellow citizens and intended for the weakest in society,” said the public prosecutor. He charged the suspect with not being open about the matter.
The prosecutor had wanted a prison sentence of twelve months. He took into account the aging of the business. The suspect now has a permanent job and is the breadwinner. Sending him to prison is not (anymore) appropriate, according to the public prosecutor. The care recipients in Assen and Hoogeveen will receive an offer from the Public Prosecution Service for their malicious role, with which their cases will be settled out of court.
The court will rule in two weeks.