The former Stip faction must pay back more than 26,000 euros to the province because there was no proper accountability for the expenditure of this compensation.
Stip was founded at the end of 2021 after Member of Parliament Sonja Kort seceded from the PVV. The faction was therefore active for more than a year, until the provincial elections in March this year. Stip did not participate in those elections.
Support
Like every faction, Stip received compensation for supporters and all kinds of administrative matters. However, the faction must justify what the money was spent on. According to the Presidium of the Drenthe States, Stip failed in this regard and the faction must repay the money. The proposal to initiate the collection procedure will be discussed in the Drenthe Parliament on Wednesday.
According to Sonja Kort, there is little to worry about. “The money is still in the bank account of the association we founded for Stip. We may have spent a few 100 euros on it. We have been very careful with this: because you have to justify everything, you first ask the clerk whether you can spend the money for the purpose you have in mind. Fortunately, I can simply pay it back.”
Incomplete
Every year on April 1, the factions must account for how they have spent their allowances and submit the necessary documents. According to the presidency, Kort has been urged to do this several times this year. She also submitted a report, but this was not complete, the presidency said in a letter to the States. Now that it is now November, Stip would have had sufficient time to arrange the accountability.
Kort: “I did indeed receive a letter with additional questions from the province. I should have responded to that, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.” Kort says he is responsible for the course of events, although someone else is registered with the Chamber of Commerce as treasurer. “That person has now withdrawn.”
Sonja Kort was also a councilor in Emmen until the spring of 2022, in addition to her State membership. When discord arose in the PVV Emmen, Kort separated from the party and also left the provincial faction.