The investigation into the financial situation at the village hall in Nieuw-Buinen has been completed. The municipality of Borger-Odoorn had an accountancy firm scrutinize the foundation’s finances.
According to the municipality, nothing alarming has come out when it comes to the annual results for 2020 and 2021. “Then we are talking about a small deficit on the one hand and a small surplus on the other,” says alderman Ankie Huijing-Van Tongeren (CDA).
However, she said there were inconsistencies. “Then we are talking about invoices that are missing for certain expenses. And whether, for example, the stock of certain items matches the expenses.”
The village hall and especially the board has a long history. The current chairman Janny Hofstra was suspended by the previous board. She expressed her suspicions about embezzlement and fraud by the treasurer. According to Hofstra, this involves thousands of euros. The judge reinstated Hofstra after she challenged this. The treasurer was relieved of her duties. She is also the manager of the village hall and is on non-active status.
To put things in order, the municipality sought legal advice on who the rightful chairman is. Hofstra also came forward from that. Finances have also been scrutinized. “In any case, no fraud was found,” emphasizes Huijing-Van Tongeren.
The financial reports of the village hall are public. Not the report of the investigation that the accountant has drawn up. “That damages people enormously. They are called by name,” explains the alderman. “And most importantly: Nieuw-Buinen certainly didn’t help with that.”
As far as the municipality is concerned, there will be a ‘big fat line’ under this file. “It is being brought up all the time. While they are doing their very best in Nieuw-Buinen. Things are going very well in the village hall. Our responsibility as a municipality is to check whether our resources, the subsidies, are well spent. These are for the rent and they are paid properly,” concludes Huijing-Van Tongeren.
“We crashed pretty hard and are still busy building everything up,” says Hofstra, who now runs the village hall together with two other board members. The administration is still in the hands of an accountant because of the messy bookkeeping of the years before, she says.
“We are now working hard to start fresh next year. We received the subsidy from the municipality earlier, with the permission of the city council, because there are some gaps. It is very annoying for the community what has happened “, she says. “But we have our eyes on the future again. And everyone is welcome in the village hall.”