RUG president Sibrand Poppema has made known that a self-employed individual who does work connected to the university has been identified as a suspect by the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD).

The university does not want to make any further statements about the individual. ‘It is true that a self-employed person is involved. I cannot say anything beyond that’, RUG spokesperson Gernant Deekens says.

Hans G., the head of the maintenance department, was arrested at the end of January. He is the main suspect in an investigation into corruption, falsification of documents and money laundering. Last week, a judge ruled that Hans G. is to remain in custody for 90 days pending the outcome of the FIOD investigation.

Employee

It had previously been made known that a second employee of the maintenance department was also involved in the fraud case. The employee was placed on inactive working status. The FIOD questioned the person but did not place him or her under arrest.

According to multiple sources from inside and outside the university, G. committed fraud for more than 20 years and other university employees were aware of the misconduct. The RUG has hired Hoffmann, an external company, to conduct an independent investigation into the fraud and the involvement of other RUG employees.

‘We want to know what the scope of this case is and who else may have been involved’, says Poppema. ‘And one of the questions that is keeping us preoccupied is: how could it be that no one said anything? That says something about the culture at the RUG.’