A 56-year-old former school headmaster has been sentenced by a Bruges court to a six-month suspended prison term for forgery and breach of trust, involving the embezzlement of over €180,000.
The accused, P.C., became the principal of Hemelsdaele primary school in Bruges in 2010. Initially, all payments were made through an official school account.
In 2013, a separate account was opened at another bank for a European exchange project, through which P.C. allegedly transferred €85,000 to his personal account.
Additionally, according to his secretary, P.C. pocketed funds from after-school care and biscuit sales, embezzling an estimated further €96,000.
The misconduct was uncovered in 2020, but the principal attempted to feign innocence. He presented a forged document claiming the account was no longer in use and had previously falsified the school’s credit card statements.
The prosecution considered his clean criminal record and requested 12 months of suspended imprisonment and a fine. "What possessed you to do such a thing?" asked prosecutor Saskia Schepens.
The defence did not dispute that P.C. submitted a false bank statement in panic, nor did it contest the account embezzlement, which P.C. had already repaid.
However, lawyer Peter De Becker unsuccessfully sought acquittal on charges regarding the misappropriated after-school care funds, arguing they constituted a slush fund.
"Those running the care were paid half in black money, but that fund also supported activities with teachers," claimed the defence, highlighting the challenge of determining the exact amount involved.
Lastly, De Becker called for a suspension of the sentence, as C. is still active in education as an ICT officer. "I was never instructed by the school board on how to manage the funds," C. declared in his final statement, asserting he inherited the slush fund system from a predecessor.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced P.C. to a six-month suspended prison term and fined him €1,600. He is also required to pay €96,000 euros in damages to the civil party.
