The treasurer of the Friends of the Bravis Hospital Foundation in Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom has embezzled 84,000 euros, it was announced on Thursday. Now the story takes another painful tail. His brother-in-law, the now deceased Roosendaal alderman Kees Verstraten, donated more than 10,000 euros to the same foundation at the beginning of this year. It was the proceeds of his book, which he wrote in the months before his death.
Kees Verstraten had only been working as an alderman in Roosendaal for a month and a half, when he was forced to give up his work in July last year due to the consequences of intestinal cancer. In the months following his political farewell, he wrote a travel book about his beloved holiday countries France, Spain and Italy: ‘Une belle histoire’.
The proceeds from that book, a total of 10,750 euros, went through the foundation to the oncology department of the Bravis Hospital. The money was intended to offer the patients of that department a bit of relaxation between the heavy treatments, such as foot and hand massages. Shortly after Verstraten handed over the check in February, he died at the age of 61.
But where the foundation was able to donate a nice amount to the hospital thanks to Verstraten, his brother-in-law now appears to have plundered the pot for months. Verstraten’s wives and the fraudulent treasurer are sisters.
“It’s very special.”
Piet van den Kieboom, chairman of the foundation, confirms this. “Verstraten did indeed donate the proceeds of that book to our foundation.” He then passed on the amount to the oncology department because Verstraten wanted it.
The family relationship between the donor and the fraudulent treasurer has also raised eyebrows at the foundation. “Very curious. For privacy reasons I cannot say much about it, but of course I do have an opinion about it. It is very special.”
The treasurer, who had a shop in the center of Roosendaal for many years, immediately confessed to the fraud. He has indicated that he wants to pay back the money, but the foundation is not waiting for that. A case has been filed against him and his house is foreclosed.
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