PVV MP Beljaarts involved in bankruptcy, KHN awaits investigation

The curator of KHN Rekenwerk is examining whether intended PVV minister Dirk Beljaarts can be blamed for the company's bankruptcy. The company provided administration services for the catering industry. According to the bankruptcy report, Beljaarts was a director at KHN Rekenwerk. De Telegraaf first reported about this on Friday afternoon.

Trade association Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) says that it must be carefully examined whether, and if so, to what extent directors of KHN Rekenwerk "can be held accountable" before further steps are taken. The curator has been investigating for almost a year.

KHN Rekenwerk went bankrupt in May last year due to a "sharply reduced" number of clients, missed payments, and the coronavirus pandemic, the board claimed. The bankruptcy report states that customers had complaints. For example, the administration of many customers was "not fully updated." No returns were submitted to the tax authorities, and the annual accounts were not drawn up. "Although the customers paid a monthly fee for this, the agreed work was not carried out," the report said.

The tax authorities have submitted a claim to the curator for more than half a million euros, bringing the total debt to almost 2 million euros. In August last year, the investigation into the legality of the bankruptcy started. The latest report, dated May 16, states that the curator has spent "the necessary time" on the investigation.

"KHN is awaiting the outcome of the curator's investigation and the steps that the curator will or will not subsequently take," a KHN spokesperson said. The spokesperson said several members of KHN have been affected by the bankruptcy. It is unknown what amounts are involved. KHN does not want to say anything about this "in the interest of the liability investigation."

The curator and Beljaarts were unreachable for the ANP. Beljaarts told De Telegraaf there was no "personal liability" and that he was a remote director until 2023. "When Rekenwerk's performance lagged behind, I was asked by the shareholders to actively get involved with Rekenwerk. I discovered what had previously been described as alleged fraud through intensive supervision. I immediately reported this and resolved the matter as best I could. I tried to solve it in close consultation with the shareholder of KHN Rekenwerk BV."