MAASTRICHT - The trial against the forcibly resigned board members of the Heerlen-based Islamic School Foundation (SIS) cannot proceed until the former school director appears in court. The Maastricht court finds it necessary that he can be questioned by lawyer Serge Weening of the former chairman and treasurer of SIS, it appeared yesterday during the substantive hearing of the criminal case. The ex-director of the Islamic schools El Wahda (Heerlen) and El Habib (Maastricht) was too ill to appear in court, according to his lawyer Sabina Gomez.

The prosecutor's office (OM) suspects the three of forgery and money laundering between 2003 and 2008.According to the prosecutor, they employed their spouses as administrative assistants or cleaners, respectively, without the women performing these activities. In addition, the former president and treasurer of SIS gave themselves jobs as teachers in the schools without teaching there. The prosecution wants the three to jointly repay 250,000 euros.

According to the former president and treasurer, both of whom already have jobs, the money they and their wives received from school was spent entirely on student transportation. Since the students would come from far away, there had to be money for drivers. The lawsuit will continue early next year.

The defendant(s) in this case are assisted by: