MAASTRICHT - Ten months in prison, five of which are suspended, have been demanded against two former directors of the Islamic elementary school El Wahda in Heerlen and El Habib in Maastricht for fraud. For the former director of the Heerlen branch, a community service of two hundred hours is sufficient, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The men must also jointly repay nearly 2.5 tons.

This emerged yesterday at the court in Maastricht, where the three school administrators were on trial for forgery and laundering the funds thus obtained. According to prosecutor R. Bliek, between 2004 and 2008 the school administrators drew up fictitious employment contracts for themselves and their wives. The then chairman of the school board, Abdelhaquim K. (46), and treasurer El Houssien C. (52) placed themselves on the payroll as teachers while they never taught. Both men also held full-time other jobs. K. works as a security guard in one of the Limburg prisons and is thus on the payroll of the Ministry of Security and Justice.

The administrators' wives were paid as administrative assistants and janitors without ever working in the schools. One of them was also supposedly a Dutch teacher while she does not speak Dutch; an interpreter was needed during her interrogation with the police. Finally, the wife of director Marcel L. (53) was wrongfully paid salary as a teaching assistant. According to those involved, the illegal constructions were necessary to pay for pupil transportation. Islamic schools must draw their pupils from far away to meet the foundation standards. Too few students means cancellation of the school, administrators say.

The principal additionally participated to cash in his accrued salary savings, he told the judges.According to the Ministry of Education, 85 percent of all Islamic elementary school have been rigged in recent years. Only the board of SIS Heerlen has so far been prosecuted.

Verdict Feb. 14.