Headlines October
Dozens of asbestos victims respond to police call about manufacturer Eternit
A recent call from the police for asbestos victims to come forward as witnesses has generated dozens of responses. 35 people have come forward who had not previously gone to the police, De Telegraaf writes today. The reason is the report that other victims filed in 2019 against building materials manufacturer Eternit from Goor. Eternit has used asbestos in its products for years, even though executives were aware of its harmful health effects. This is what lawyer and board member Bob Ruers of the Asbestos Victims Committee says. He calls the criminal investigation underway against the company a "unique case of enormous scale". In November 2019, the committee reported manslaughter, culpable homicide and causing grievous bodily harm against the company and former executives on behalf of six surviving relatives . The construction company in Goor, Twente, processed asbestos in building materials for homes, for example, until the 1990s. This is said to have led to the deaths of at least 150 former employees.
In August , the police unit that deals with environmental crime called on asbestos victims to come forward as witnesses. "The researchers are still working on hearing people," says Ruers. "The Public Prosecution Service must ultimately decide whether to prosecute." Ruers, previously a member of the Senate for the SP, has represented dozens of victims and surviving relatives in civil lawsuits since 1988. "Eternit has had to pay compensation to many victims. On average, they received a payment of €100,000 from the company."
'Recognition and reparation'
The difference between those civil proceedings and the criminal investigation is that a conviction could lead to prison time for former company executives. Ruers says it has internal documents showing that the company has known about the harmful health effects of asbestos for decades, but has continued to use it. "Research came out in the 1960s showing that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, or lung and peritoneal cancer," says Ruers. "Eternit maintained until the 1990s that it was not dangerous. They let people work with it and sold it to customers." In a written response to NOS, Eternit said it regrets that people have become ill due to asbestos use in the past, but will refrain from commenting while the investigation is ongoing. According to Ruers, for victims and relatives it is mainly about recognition and compensation. "I have noticed that the surviving relatives remain emotionally haunted for a long time. The judge must clearly state that criminal offenses have been committed." After exposure to asbestos, it can take decades before you actually become ill. In this video, NOS explains what asbestos is:
The Asbestos Victims Committee has divided the victims into four categories. First, there are the factory workers who worked with asbestos. "At least 150 of them have died," says Ruers. Then follow the housemates of these former employees who came into contact with their clothing. “For example, dirty overalls.” The third category concerns residents living near the factory. Ruers: "Eternit dumped the waste in a radius of 20 kilometers around the factory. And people could collect the waste for free." Finally, there are the people who bought Eternit products and got sick from them. "Nobody knows exactly how many victims there are," says Ruers. "This is the first case in the Netherlands in which victims unite on a large scale against a company that has caused many victims in four areas."
Cold case case
In De Telegraaf, two managers of the National Unit who are investigating Eternit talk about the "extensive and complex investigation". "There is a report of more than 2,500 pages," says the head of the High Impact Environmental Crime Team (HIEC), who did not want to be named. The detective chief compares the investigation to a cold case. “We need to go back to the 60s, 70s and 80s when the victims worked at Eternit.” Because the investigation is still ongoing, the police cannot provide any details. They do say that the interrogations were often emotional. "Reporters lost several people in the family due to asbestos cancer," the team leader of the investigation told the newspaper. “I had tears in my eyes.”
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2495104-tientallen-asbestslachtoffers-reageren-op-politie-oproep-over-fabrikant-eternit
CBR cancels all driving exams in Enschede after intimidation by former driving school owner
The Central Bureau of Driving Licenses (CBR) immediately cancels all driving exams in Enschede because it cannot guarantee the safety of candidates, trainers and examiners. A former driving school owner repeatedly chases and films exam cars, causing those involved to feel intimidated.The former driving school owner would do this because he believes that small driving schools are disadvantaged by the CBR, reports RTV Oost . He states that he was deregistered from the CBR due to a personal quarrel with former politician Alexander Pechtold, now general director at the CBR.
Followed home
The CBR previously started a lawsuit against the man. In summary proceedings, the judge ruled that he had to stop his actions immediately, on penalty of a penalty. That seemed to help, until the intimidation started again about two weeks ago. "It has happened almost every day in recent weeks. The man chases cars and also comes to our location. Examiners are even followed home," says a spokesperson. It has therefore been decided to cancel all driving tests for at least two days. It involves dozens of exams.
"We have taken this decision because we stand for the safety of candidates, trainers and our people. All actions we have taken so far have not led to results. We are now committed to a short cooling-off period," the CBR said. The organization says it is a rigorous measure that was taken with a heavy heart. "But this really can't happen anymore."
Free driving lessons
Discussions are currently underway as to whether the exams scheduled for next Monday can go ahead. That day, a meeting will also take place between the CBR and the triangle (mayor, public prosecutor and police). People who miss their driving test are offered a new practical test. Candidates will also be offered two free driving lessons from the CBR to compensate for the inconvenience.
Source https://nos.nl/artikel/2492979-cbr-annuleert-alle-rijexamens-in-enschede-na-intimidatie-door-oud-rijschoolhouder
Fraud LUMC: hospital ignored its own safety report
The Leiden University Medical Center has ignored its own safety report from 2019. This made it possible for the Hague company Percuros BV to cheat on European research subsidies for years to come. This is evident from documents from the court in The Hague. These are judgments in cases initiated by three (former) LUMC employees. They were fired but are contesting that dismissal.
The LUMC is suspected by the European Commission of structural fraud in research projects financed with European money. The hospital itself points to the Hague company Percuros BV , which arranged these subsidies.
When the fraud emerged at the end of 2022, the LUMC started an internal investigation and three employees were summarily dismissed in April this year. According to the hospital, they were aware of the fraud, but did not raise the alarm.
Percuros BV is the research agency of British researcher Alan Chan. For years, Chan and his agency did all kinds of projects with European money and worked closely with his business partner Katja Bierau. Percuros's address is Eerbeeklaan 42 in The Hague, but the researcher has disappeared. After the European Commission intervened at the end of last year following the discovered fraud, contact between the LUMC and Chan became increasingly difficult. Ultimately, Percuros BV was closed down and Chan did not respond to any messages.
The court ruled that the three former employees were rightly dismissed, but in the case of two of the three this should not have been summarily dismissed. According to the court, they cannot be blamed for not saying anything to their superiors. According to the court, the leader of the research group was rightly dismissed with immediate effect, he is said to have known about the cheating and also participated in it. Moreover, in his position he should have known that he should have officially brought the fraud to justice.
But the ruling also makes it clear that the LUMC let things slide internally and was aware of cheating by the Hague company much earlier. In 2019, an audit found that Percuros had drawn up 'unlawful subsidy accountability'. An internal department has been set to work to look at risks and internal organization.
Personal financial gain
The report of that department speaks of 'registration and/or accountability of activities that did NOT take place' and 'incorrect registration/accounting of project costs'. This is described as a high risk. It also reports 'deliberate fraud to achieve personal financial gain by Percuros.' The researchers also stated in 2019 that 'tasks, responsibilities and authorities (...) are not clear and are insufficiently documented'. Responsibilities are also not placed in the right place, they argue. This sometimes gives Percuros too much space to act on behalf of, or even as, the LUMC.
Internal investigation not until 2023
The internal report already stated all this in 2019. The European Commission will not sound the alarm at the LUMC until December 2022 and only then will it initiate an extensive internal investigation, resulting in the dismissal of its three employees. The LUMC is also trying to get documents back from Percuros and founder Alan Chan. But Percuros no longer exists since the end of June 2023, and Chan seems to have disappeared .
The internal fraud investigations that were initiated at the beginning of this year show that there are so-called 'ghost secondments'. Researchers are placed at another university or institution, often abroad, to conduct part of their research there. The European Commission provides money for this. But many of these secondments only seem to exist on paper. The money then went to Percuros.
Tampering with signatures
It also appears that signatures and invoices have been tampered with. This could happen because the Percuros company had requested and received the login details for an important registration website from one of the dismissed employees. Percuros then tampered with it to obtain money from Europe.
The three dismissed researchers found that strange things were happening during their work, according to emails quoted by the court. ' Your name and signature are still used inappropriately by [biotechnical research company]... I am going to discuss this again with [a colleague] after the holidays', is quoted in the judgment. And there are more examples. The LUMC dismissed the researchers because they made comments among themselves, but never reported them to management.
Summary dismissal 'unjustified'
The court now concludes that summary dismissal of two of the three employees was unjustified. The third was rightly summarily placed on watch. In an initial response, the LUMC stated that it regrets that it had to take these measures. The three do not return to the university hospital.
But it is now costing the hospital a lot of money. The two who were wrongly summarily dismissed must be paid back wages and will also receive a so-called transition payment. That amounts to more than 91,000 euros and more than 83,000 euros.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4765039/fraude-lumc-ziekenhuis-negeerde-eigen-veiligheidsrapport
Martini Hospital is not accepting new patients from Zilveren Kruis and ASR
People with insurance with Zilveren Kruis or asr cannot make appointments at the Martini Hospital until the end of this year. The reason is that the amount of care that the two insurers have purchased from the Martini Hospital for this year has run out. The parties have not agreed on a solution to the problem.
The appointments that have already been scheduled will continue as usual. Emergencies can still go to the hospital. Oncological care, maternity care and care for patients under the age of eighteen will also continue.
'It's never happened before'
"Until recently we were convinced that we would find a solution together, we have been in discussions with the insurers since August," says customer and market director Marieke van Kralingen of the Martini Hospital. 'Somehow you see it coming, but it has never happened before so you trust that you will work it out together.'
Patients consciously choose the Martini Hospital, so I don't know how they will react to that
Marieke van Kralingen - director of customer and market Martini Hospital
She explains what is going on: 'The insurer had to purchase additional care, but only purchased part of it. That is why we unfortunately cannot treat some of the patients.' All scheduled appointments will go ahead, no cancellations will be made. 'But patients who are on the waiting list for treatment or surgery and are insured with these insurers will have to wait until 2024.'
'I don't know how patients react to this'
"You notice how painful it is for patients and how tough it is for the employees," Van Kralingen experiences. 'I had a calculation done as to how many patients with these insurers are referred to Martini by general practitioners. Then you are talking about an average of 130 patients per day. That is the total concern and some of them will no longer be able to come to us.'
'Patients consciously choose the Martini Hospital, so I don't know how they will react to that.' The hospital assumes that the absence of patients will not lead to operating rooms remaining empty.
Lesson learned
Van Kralingen is not afraid of a domino effect. “We agree to disagree. There is no arguing, we are professionals, both the health insurers and the hospital, and will do everything we can to finalize the contracts for next year. But I did learn a lesson and this is not a risk you want to take as a hospital.'
The Zilveren Kruis includes Interpolis, FBTO, De Friesland, De Christelijke Zorgverzekeraar and Ziezo. Asr is also about asr I choose myself. The Dutch Healthcare Authority has been informed about the situation.
Zilveren Kruis response:
'Hospitals and health insurers always make agreements at the end of a year,' explains a Zilveren Kruis spokesperson. 'The Martini Hospital did not expect to reach an agreement with the agreed amount and wanted extra money and then you enter into discussions. Zilveren Kruis made two million euros available, but the hospital wanted one million euros more.'
She continues: 'We see that waiting times in surrounding hospitals are shorter. At the Martini Hospital you have a waiting time of ten weeks for knee surgery, but at other hospitals in the region it takes three and a half weeks. That is why we give the Martini Hospital money for other forms of care, but we do not want to increase the premium unnecessarily.'
Source: https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/1076874/martini-ziekenhuis-neemt-geen-nieuwe-patienten-zilveren-kruis-en-asr-aan
Attero suffers millions in damage due to nitrous oxide cartridges that explode: 'Reintroduce a deposit'
At Attero they can't laugh about it. The waste processor at the VAM mountain suffers millions in damage due to nitrous oxide cylinders. At least one nitrous oxide cartridge explodes every day in the company's incinerator.
"Our employees no longer feel safe," says spokesperson Robert Corijn. That is why something has to be done, says the company that processes more than 3 million tons of waste into raw materials and energy every year. "The best solution is a deposit."
Deposit. It is not a new idea for nitrous oxide cylinders. There was a deposit until January 1. But since then, the possession of laughing gas has been banned in the Netherlands. It falls under the Opium Act, it is a drug. There was broad support for banning laughing gas, from politicians, municipalities and youth workers.
At Attero they notice a consequence of this. "Our ovens explode in the incinerator. Every day we have at least one explosion. Our ovens burn at 800 degrees. They are lined with very special thick and very expensive tiles. If that explosion happens against such a tile, that tile can break down. If that happens often enough, the boiler of the incinerator can develop a leak. We want to prevent that at all times."
"We now sometimes have to replace those tiles. Then you have to shut down the entire line for a week. That is a huge amount of damage."
That damage is for the company itself. "We are wondering how long we will have to pay for the costs. We have not thought of this. So we will see if we can submit the bill to the central government or the municipality."
Source: https://www.rtvdrenthe.nl/nieuws/15959824/attero-lijdt-miljoenenschade-door-lachgaspatronen-die-ontploffen-voer-statiegeld-weer-in
Not one, but five ING customers were able to view a stranger's bank details
Not one, but five ING customers were able to view data from another bank customer via the app last Thursday. Money could also be transferred, for example. When asked whether the situation was abused, the bank replied: "We will not make any further statements about that."
ING, which this morning spoke of a 'unique case', admitted this afternoon that there was more going on when the NOS confronted the bank with a second report. That person reported to NOS after hearing the news that an ING customer could view someone else's bank details.
According to ING, this now concerns 'a handful of customers'. "There are five, and no more," ING said. According to the bank, this was always the same system error.
I could have taken enormous advantage of the situation. (ING customer)
The person who reported to NOS today was shown bank details of someone whose surname started with the same four letters: "And that lady had a lot of money in the account. A ton or so. I also saw all kinds of private data such as 'potje vacation', 'bathroom potty'. Those kinds of things. I could have taken enormous advantage of the situation."
He called ING. It said, among other things: 'If you log out and log in again, the problem will probably be resolved.' But I was also worried about my own account. Is it safe? But that was cut short quite quickly.”
Cancel account
The FD wrote this morning that an ING customer simply accessed someone else's bank details online after logging in with facial recognition. "Very uncomfortable," the account holder told the FD . "I was even able to change his details or cancel the account." A system error, says ING. According to the bank, it was not due to the facial recognition software. “It was due to a change we made to the system and have now reversed,” said an ING spokesperson. "We are constantly making changes, all technical things at the back of the system, which customers don't see at all." ING could not say exactly what kind of change this involved.
The systems in the financial world are extremely large and complex, says Dave Maasland, director of IT security company ESET. “As stupid as it sounds, I don't think they can ever guarantee this will never happen again,” he says. "It is still people who maintain these systems. The size of the systems makes it difficult to make them completely watertight and test them. This is an enormous challenge, which makes them vulnerable."
No sock under the bed
We don't really have to be afraid that other customers will suddenly have access to personal data, say experts NOS spoke to. "You almost never see this in the financial world. It is actually light years ahead in the field of digital security," says Maasland. "Digital security is in the bank's DNA, it is what banks sell. That is why we no longer put our money in a sock under the bed," says Maasland. According to ING, the system error was quickly resolved because the customer knocked on the bank's door. Customers who have not yet updated the app are not still experiencing the system error, the bank says.
'Can happen'
ABN Amro informs the NOS that it also sometimes has a system error. "It could happen once, but we will of course do everything we can to prevent that. Our app is used six to eight million times a day, so things can go wrong." De Volksbank, which includes ASN, SNS and Regio Bank, responds that the way you log in as a customer is separate from what data you see. Rabobank responds: "We do everything we can to protect our customers' data. We apply strict standards to this end. However, unfortunately we cannot guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong."
Maasland encourages banks to be more open about these types of errors. "It's a balance between trust and openness."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2494313-niet-een-maar-vijf-ing-klanten-konden-bankgegevens-van-een-vreemde-inzien
Also exam fraud among Deloitte accountants
Exam fraud has also been committed at the accounting firm Deloitte. Member of the board of directors Rob Bergmans is resigning from his position due to the fraud. Last summer it became clear that more than a hundred employees at accounting and consultancy firm KPMG were involved in fraud . Chairman of the supervisory board Roger van Boxtel admitted that he had not completed a training course "in a correct manner" and resigned. Supervisory Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) says it is "shocked and disappointed" about the new case of tampering among accountants, a professional group that must rely on its integrity.
Answers given
During the exam fraud, accountants and their employees were given answers to exam questions. Such an exam could, for example, be about cybersecurity or integrity. These are mandatory tests for the profession. Last year, the AFM asked all major accounting firms to investigate internal exam fraud. The supervisor checks whether this investigation is done thoroughly. The AFM and Deloitte do not say what exactly the new case of exam fraud is about. It remains unclear who, how and when fraud was committed. In a press release from Deloitte, outgoing director Bergmans says: "I can only conclude that with the most recent insights from the investigation and the facts it has revealed, it is not in the interest of the organization if I remain as a member of the board of directors or remain associated with Deloitte as a partner."
Exemplary behavior
It is not yet clear whether there will be more victims at Deloitte due to the tampering of exams. The company expects to complete the investigation into the exam fraud at the end of this year. The AFM calls on employees within the sector to report abuses. "It has now become apparent twice in a row that exam fraud also occurs at the top of large accounting firms, precisely where absolute exemplary behavior can be expected," says AFM director Hanzo van Beusekom, also in a press release. "This confirms that this is a phenomenon that is more widely spread." Accountants check, among other things, whether companies and organizations report correct financial data in annual accounts. This information is important: companies, governments and investors, among others, base all kinds of economic decisions on it.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2494294-ook-examenfraude-bij-accountants-van-deloitte
Major problems threaten due to full power grid, province is concerned
The demand for sustainable electricity is growing much faster than the transport capacity. Grid operators TenneT and Alliander warned about this on Wednesday. Without measures and more money, housing construction threatens to stagnate and there are even warnings about the risk of power outages.
The government announces measures to reduce the impact of grid congestion. Gelderland, together with municipalities and grid operators, also wants to do everything it can to ensure a stable power supply. Because according to TenneT, if nothing changes in the coming years, the grid will be full from 2026. Then, among other things, the supply of electricity to industry will come under pressure and new housing construction may be left without a power supply.
'Shocked by message'
Gelderland energy representative Ans Mol: “I am shocked by the seriousness of the message. I also want to take the interests of our residents and our companies into account in our future strategy, so that both are not left out in the cold. This means that more measures are needed. We are already working closely on this in the Energy Board, with municipalities, regions and collaboration with grid operators.”
Smart local energy systems can help to relieve the grid. The province is now in intensive consultation about this with grid operators and regions in the Gelderland Energy Board. Other measures being worked on include accelerating procedures so that electricity stations can be built where they are most needed and the cables can be buried.
Dealing with energy differently
In addition to these measures, companies and households must learn to use energy differently. Use less energy and deal with supply and demand more efficiently. The so-called peak hour avoidance. Households can also do this more often. Mainly use electricity when there is a lot of sustainable electricity from wind or sun and use less electricity during peak hours or when this supply is not available.
Source: https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8027851/grote-problemen-dreigen-door-vol-stroomnet-provincie-bezorgd
A recent call from the police for asbestos victims to come forward as witnesses has generated dozens of responses. 35 people have come forward who had not previously gone to the police, De Telegraaf writes today. The reason is the report that other victims filed in 2019 against building materials manufacturer Eternit from Goor. Eternit has used asbestos in its products for years, even though executives were aware of its harmful health effects. This is what lawyer and board member Bob Ruers of the Asbestos Victims Committee says. He calls the criminal investigation underway against the company a "unique case of enormous scale". In November 2019, the committee reported manslaughter, culpable homicide and causing grievous bodily harm against the company and former executives on behalf of six surviving relatives . The construction company in Goor, Twente, processed asbestos in building materials for homes, for example, until the 1990s. This is said to have led to the deaths of at least 150 former employees.
In August , the police unit that deals with environmental crime called on asbestos victims to come forward as witnesses. "The researchers are still working on hearing people," says Ruers. "The Public Prosecution Service must ultimately decide whether to prosecute." Ruers, previously a member of the Senate for the SP, has represented dozens of victims and surviving relatives in civil lawsuits since 1988. "Eternit has had to pay compensation to many victims. On average, they received a payment of €100,000 from the company."
'Recognition and reparation'
The difference between those civil proceedings and the criminal investigation is that a conviction could lead to prison time for former company executives. Ruers says it has internal documents showing that the company has known about the harmful health effects of asbestos for decades, but has continued to use it. "Research came out in the 1960s showing that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, or lung and peritoneal cancer," says Ruers. "Eternit maintained until the 1990s that it was not dangerous. They let people work with it and sold it to customers." In a written response to NOS, Eternit said it regrets that people have become ill due to asbestos use in the past, but will refrain from commenting while the investigation is ongoing. According to Ruers, for victims and relatives it is mainly about recognition and compensation. "I have noticed that the surviving relatives remain emotionally haunted for a long time. The judge must clearly state that criminal offenses have been committed." After exposure to asbestos, it can take decades before you actually become ill. In this video, NOS explains what asbestos is:
The Asbestos Victims Committee has divided the victims into four categories. First, there are the factory workers who worked with asbestos. "At least 150 of them have died," says Ruers. Then follow the housemates of these former employees who came into contact with their clothing. “For example, dirty overalls.” The third category concerns residents living near the factory. Ruers: "Eternit dumped the waste in a radius of 20 kilometers around the factory. And people could collect the waste for free." Finally, there are the people who bought Eternit products and got sick from them. "Nobody knows exactly how many victims there are," says Ruers. "This is the first case in the Netherlands in which victims unite on a large scale against a company that has caused many victims in four areas."
Cold case case
In De Telegraaf, two managers of the National Unit who are investigating Eternit talk about the "extensive and complex investigation". "There is a report of more than 2,500 pages," says the head of the High Impact Environmental Crime Team (HIEC), who did not want to be named. The detective chief compares the investigation to a cold case. “We need to go back to the 60s, 70s and 80s when the victims worked at Eternit.” Because the investigation is still ongoing, the police cannot provide any details. They do say that the interrogations were often emotional. "Reporters lost several people in the family due to asbestos cancer," the team leader of the investigation told the newspaper. “I had tears in my eyes.”
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2495104-tientallen-asbestslachtoffers-reageren-op-politie-oproep-over-fabrikant-eternit
CBR cancels all driving exams in Enschede after intimidation by former driving school owner
The Central Bureau of Driving Licenses (CBR) immediately cancels all driving exams in Enschede because it cannot guarantee the safety of candidates, trainers and examiners. A former driving school owner repeatedly chases and films exam cars, causing those involved to feel intimidated.The former driving school owner would do this because he believes that small driving schools are disadvantaged by the CBR, reports RTV Oost . He states that he was deregistered from the CBR due to a personal quarrel with former politician Alexander Pechtold, now general director at the CBR.
Followed home
The CBR previously started a lawsuit against the man. In summary proceedings, the judge ruled that he had to stop his actions immediately, on penalty of a penalty. That seemed to help, until the intimidation started again about two weeks ago. "It has happened almost every day in recent weeks. The man chases cars and also comes to our location. Examiners are even followed home," says a spokesperson. It has therefore been decided to cancel all driving tests for at least two days. It involves dozens of exams.
"We have taken this decision because we stand for the safety of candidates, trainers and our people. All actions we have taken so far have not led to results. We are now committed to a short cooling-off period," the CBR said. The organization says it is a rigorous measure that was taken with a heavy heart. "But this really can't happen anymore."
Free driving lessons
Discussions are currently underway as to whether the exams scheduled for next Monday can go ahead. That day, a meeting will also take place between the CBR and the triangle (mayor, public prosecutor and police). People who miss their driving test are offered a new practical test. Candidates will also be offered two free driving lessons from the CBR to compensate for the inconvenience.
Source https://nos.nl/artikel/2492979-cbr-annuleert-alle-rijexamens-in-enschede-na-intimidatie-door-oud-rijschoolhouder
Fraud LUMC: hospital ignored its own safety report
The Leiden University Medical Center has ignored its own safety report from 2019. This made it possible for the Hague company Percuros BV to cheat on European research subsidies for years to come. This is evident from documents from the court in The Hague. These are judgments in cases initiated by three (former) LUMC employees. They were fired but are contesting that dismissal.
The LUMC is suspected by the European Commission of structural fraud in research projects financed with European money. The hospital itself points to the Hague company Percuros BV , which arranged these subsidies.
When the fraud emerged at the end of 2022, the LUMC started an internal investigation and three employees were summarily dismissed in April this year. According to the hospital, they were aware of the fraud, but did not raise the alarm.
Percuros BV is the research agency of British researcher Alan Chan. For years, Chan and his agency did all kinds of projects with European money and worked closely with his business partner Katja Bierau. Percuros's address is Eerbeeklaan 42 in The Hague, but the researcher has disappeared. After the European Commission intervened at the end of last year following the discovered fraud, contact between the LUMC and Chan became increasingly difficult. Ultimately, Percuros BV was closed down and Chan did not respond to any messages.
The court ruled that the three former employees were rightly dismissed, but in the case of two of the three this should not have been summarily dismissed. According to the court, they cannot be blamed for not saying anything to their superiors. According to the court, the leader of the research group was rightly dismissed with immediate effect, he is said to have known about the cheating and also participated in it. Moreover, in his position he should have known that he should have officially brought the fraud to justice.
But the ruling also makes it clear that the LUMC let things slide internally and was aware of cheating by the Hague company much earlier. In 2019, an audit found that Percuros had drawn up 'unlawful subsidy accountability'. An internal department has been set to work to look at risks and internal organization.
Personal financial gain
The report of that department speaks of 'registration and/or accountability of activities that did NOT take place' and 'incorrect registration/accounting of project costs'. This is described as a high risk. It also reports 'deliberate fraud to achieve personal financial gain by Percuros.' The researchers also stated in 2019 that 'tasks, responsibilities and authorities (...) are not clear and are insufficiently documented'. Responsibilities are also not placed in the right place, they argue. This sometimes gives Percuros too much space to act on behalf of, or even as, the LUMC.
Internal investigation not until 2023
The internal report already stated all this in 2019. The European Commission will not sound the alarm at the LUMC until December 2022 and only then will it initiate an extensive internal investigation, resulting in the dismissal of its three employees. The LUMC is also trying to get documents back from Percuros and founder Alan Chan. But Percuros no longer exists since the end of June 2023, and Chan seems to have disappeared .
The internal fraud investigations that were initiated at the beginning of this year show that there are so-called 'ghost secondments'. Researchers are placed at another university or institution, often abroad, to conduct part of their research there. The European Commission provides money for this. But many of these secondments only seem to exist on paper. The money then went to Percuros.
Tampering with signatures
It also appears that signatures and invoices have been tampered with. This could happen because the Percuros company had requested and received the login details for an important registration website from one of the dismissed employees. Percuros then tampered with it to obtain money from Europe.
The three dismissed researchers found that strange things were happening during their work, according to emails quoted by the court. ' Your name and signature are still used inappropriately by [biotechnical research company]... I am going to discuss this again with [a colleague] after the holidays', is quoted in the judgment. And there are more examples. The LUMC dismissed the researchers because they made comments among themselves, but never reported them to management.
Summary dismissal 'unjustified'
The court now concludes that summary dismissal of two of the three employees was unjustified. The third was rightly summarily placed on watch. In an initial response, the LUMC stated that it regrets that it had to take these measures. The three do not return to the university hospital.
But it is now costing the hospital a lot of money. The two who were wrongly summarily dismissed must be paid back wages and will also receive a so-called transition payment. That amounts to more than 91,000 euros and more than 83,000 euros.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4765039/fraude-lumc-ziekenhuis-negeerde-eigen-veiligheidsrapport
Martini Hospital is not accepting new patients from Zilveren Kruis and ASR
People with insurance with Zilveren Kruis or asr cannot make appointments at the Martini Hospital until the end of this year. The reason is that the amount of care that the two insurers have purchased from the Martini Hospital for this year has run out. The parties have not agreed on a solution to the problem.
The appointments that have already been scheduled will continue as usual. Emergencies can still go to the hospital. Oncological care, maternity care and care for patients under the age of eighteen will also continue.
'It's never happened before'
"Until recently we were convinced that we would find a solution together, we have been in discussions with the insurers since August," says customer and market director Marieke van Kralingen of the Martini Hospital. 'Somehow you see it coming, but it has never happened before so you trust that you will work it out together.'
Patients consciously choose the Martini Hospital, so I don't know how they will react to that
Marieke van Kralingen - director of customer and market Martini Hospital
She explains what is going on: 'The insurer had to purchase additional care, but only purchased part of it. That is why we unfortunately cannot treat some of the patients.' All scheduled appointments will go ahead, no cancellations will be made. 'But patients who are on the waiting list for treatment or surgery and are insured with these insurers will have to wait until 2024.'
'I don't know how patients react to this'
"You notice how painful it is for patients and how tough it is for the employees," Van Kralingen experiences. 'I had a calculation done as to how many patients with these insurers are referred to Martini by general practitioners. Then you are talking about an average of 130 patients per day. That is the total concern and some of them will no longer be able to come to us.'
'Patients consciously choose the Martini Hospital, so I don't know how they will react to that.' The hospital assumes that the absence of patients will not lead to operating rooms remaining empty.
Lesson learned
Van Kralingen is not afraid of a domino effect. “We agree to disagree. There is no arguing, we are professionals, both the health insurers and the hospital, and will do everything we can to finalize the contracts for next year. But I did learn a lesson and this is not a risk you want to take as a hospital.'
The Zilveren Kruis includes Interpolis, FBTO, De Friesland, De Christelijke Zorgverzekeraar and Ziezo. Asr is also about asr I choose myself. The Dutch Healthcare Authority has been informed about the situation.
Zilveren Kruis response:
'Hospitals and health insurers always make agreements at the end of a year,' explains a Zilveren Kruis spokesperson. 'The Martini Hospital did not expect to reach an agreement with the agreed amount and wanted extra money and then you enter into discussions. Zilveren Kruis made two million euros available, but the hospital wanted one million euros more.'
She continues: 'We see that waiting times in surrounding hospitals are shorter. At the Martini Hospital you have a waiting time of ten weeks for knee surgery, but at other hospitals in the region it takes three and a half weeks. That is why we give the Martini Hospital money for other forms of care, but we do not want to increase the premium unnecessarily.'
Source: https://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/1076874/martini-ziekenhuis-neemt-geen-nieuwe-patienten-zilveren-kruis-en-asr-aan
Attero suffers millions in damage due to nitrous oxide cartridges that explode: 'Reintroduce a deposit'
At Attero they can't laugh about it. The waste processor at the VAM mountain suffers millions in damage due to nitrous oxide cylinders. At least one nitrous oxide cartridge explodes every day in the company's incinerator.
"Our employees no longer feel safe," says spokesperson Robert Corijn. That is why something has to be done, says the company that processes more than 3 million tons of waste into raw materials and energy every year. "The best solution is a deposit."
Deposit. It is not a new idea for nitrous oxide cylinders. There was a deposit until January 1. But since then, the possession of laughing gas has been banned in the Netherlands. It falls under the Opium Act, it is a drug. There was broad support for banning laughing gas, from politicians, municipalities and youth workers.
At Attero they notice a consequence of this. "Our ovens explode in the incinerator. Every day we have at least one explosion. Our ovens burn at 800 degrees. They are lined with very special thick and very expensive tiles. If that explosion happens against such a tile, that tile can break down. If that happens often enough, the boiler of the incinerator can develop a leak. We want to prevent that at all times."
"We now sometimes have to replace those tiles. Then you have to shut down the entire line for a week. That is a huge amount of damage."
That damage is for the company itself. "We are wondering how long we will have to pay for the costs. We have not thought of this. So we will see if we can submit the bill to the central government or the municipality."
Source: https://www.rtvdrenthe.nl/nieuws/15959824/attero-lijdt-miljoenenschade-door-lachgaspatronen-die-ontploffen-voer-statiegeld-weer-in
Not one, but five ING customers were able to view a stranger's bank details
Not one, but five ING customers were able to view data from another bank customer via the app last Thursday. Money could also be transferred, for example. When asked whether the situation was abused, the bank replied: "We will not make any further statements about that."
ING, which this morning spoke of a 'unique case', admitted this afternoon that there was more going on when the NOS confronted the bank with a second report. That person reported to NOS after hearing the news that an ING customer could view someone else's bank details.
According to ING, this now concerns 'a handful of customers'. "There are five, and no more," ING said. According to the bank, this was always the same system error.
I could have taken enormous advantage of the situation. (ING customer)
The person who reported to NOS today was shown bank details of someone whose surname started with the same four letters: "And that lady had a lot of money in the account. A ton or so. I also saw all kinds of private data such as 'potje vacation', 'bathroom potty'. Those kinds of things. I could have taken enormous advantage of the situation."
He called ING. It said, among other things: 'If you log out and log in again, the problem will probably be resolved.' But I was also worried about my own account. Is it safe? But that was cut short quite quickly.”
Cancel account
The FD wrote this morning that an ING customer simply accessed someone else's bank details online after logging in with facial recognition. "Very uncomfortable," the account holder told the FD . "I was even able to change his details or cancel the account." A system error, says ING. According to the bank, it was not due to the facial recognition software. “It was due to a change we made to the system and have now reversed,” said an ING spokesperson. "We are constantly making changes, all technical things at the back of the system, which customers don't see at all." ING could not say exactly what kind of change this involved.
The systems in the financial world are extremely large and complex, says Dave Maasland, director of IT security company ESET. “As stupid as it sounds, I don't think they can ever guarantee this will never happen again,” he says. "It is still people who maintain these systems. The size of the systems makes it difficult to make them completely watertight and test them. This is an enormous challenge, which makes them vulnerable."
No sock under the bed
We don't really have to be afraid that other customers will suddenly have access to personal data, say experts NOS spoke to. "You almost never see this in the financial world. It is actually light years ahead in the field of digital security," says Maasland. "Digital security is in the bank's DNA, it is what banks sell. That is why we no longer put our money in a sock under the bed," says Maasland. According to ING, the system error was quickly resolved because the customer knocked on the bank's door. Customers who have not yet updated the app are not still experiencing the system error, the bank says.
'Can happen'
ABN Amro informs the NOS that it also sometimes has a system error. "It could happen once, but we will of course do everything we can to prevent that. Our app is used six to eight million times a day, so things can go wrong." De Volksbank, which includes ASN, SNS and Regio Bank, responds that the way you log in as a customer is separate from what data you see. Rabobank responds: "We do everything we can to protect our customers' data. We apply strict standards to this end. However, unfortunately we cannot guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong."
Maasland encourages banks to be more open about these types of errors. "It's a balance between trust and openness."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2494313-niet-een-maar-vijf-ing-klanten-konden-bankgegevens-van-een-vreemde-inzien
Also exam fraud among Deloitte accountants
Exam fraud has also been committed at the accounting firm Deloitte. Member of the board of directors Rob Bergmans is resigning from his position due to the fraud. Last summer it became clear that more than a hundred employees at accounting and consultancy firm KPMG were involved in fraud . Chairman of the supervisory board Roger van Boxtel admitted that he had not completed a training course "in a correct manner" and resigned. Supervisory Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) says it is "shocked and disappointed" about the new case of tampering among accountants, a professional group that must rely on its integrity.
Answers given
During the exam fraud, accountants and their employees were given answers to exam questions. Such an exam could, for example, be about cybersecurity or integrity. These are mandatory tests for the profession. Last year, the AFM asked all major accounting firms to investigate internal exam fraud. The supervisor checks whether this investigation is done thoroughly. The AFM and Deloitte do not say what exactly the new case of exam fraud is about. It remains unclear who, how and when fraud was committed. In a press release from Deloitte, outgoing director Bergmans says: "I can only conclude that with the most recent insights from the investigation and the facts it has revealed, it is not in the interest of the organization if I remain as a member of the board of directors or remain associated with Deloitte as a partner."
Exemplary behavior
It is not yet clear whether there will be more victims at Deloitte due to the tampering of exams. The company expects to complete the investigation into the exam fraud at the end of this year. The AFM calls on employees within the sector to report abuses. "It has now become apparent twice in a row that exam fraud also occurs at the top of large accounting firms, precisely where absolute exemplary behavior can be expected," says AFM director Hanzo van Beusekom, also in a press release. "This confirms that this is a phenomenon that is more widely spread." Accountants check, among other things, whether companies and organizations report correct financial data in annual accounts. This information is important: companies, governments and investors, among others, base all kinds of economic decisions on it.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2494294-ook-examenfraude-bij-accountants-van-deloitte
Major problems threaten due to full power grid, province is concerned
The demand for sustainable electricity is growing much faster than the transport capacity. Grid operators TenneT and Alliander warned about this on Wednesday. Without measures and more money, housing construction threatens to stagnate and there are even warnings about the risk of power outages.
The government announces measures to reduce the impact of grid congestion. Gelderland, together with municipalities and grid operators, also wants to do everything it can to ensure a stable power supply. Because according to TenneT, if nothing changes in the coming years, the grid will be full from 2026. Then, among other things, the supply of electricity to industry will come under pressure and new housing construction may be left without a power supply.
'Shocked by message'
Gelderland energy representative Ans Mol: “I am shocked by the seriousness of the message. I also want to take the interests of our residents and our companies into account in our future strategy, so that both are not left out in the cold. This means that more measures are needed. We are already working closely on this in the Energy Board, with municipalities, regions and collaboration with grid operators.”
Smart local energy systems can help to relieve the grid. The province is now in intensive consultation about this with grid operators and regions in the Gelderland Energy Board. Other measures being worked on include accelerating procedures so that electricity stations can be built where they are most needed and the cables can be buried.
Dealing with energy differently
In addition to these measures, companies and households must learn to use energy differently. Use less energy and deal with supply and demand more efficiently. The so-called peak hour avoidance. Households can also do this more often. Mainly use electricity when there is a lot of sustainable electricity from wind or sun and use less electricity during peak hours or when this supply is not available.
Source: https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8027851/grote-problemen-dreigen-door-vol-stroomnet-provincie-bezorgd
Translated Dutch to English with Google Translate