NMBS employee of Train Museum Train World was able to darken 1 million euros: « I’m ashamed »

At the end of the 2020 financial year of the VZW Train World, the fraud was diagnosed in April 2021. A person was involved, who drawn up fictional incoming invoices from 2016 to March 2021. The employee of the accounting “acted alone, and in merely self-interest, and, when the facts were determined, no longer was part of the NMBS staff,” said the NMBS.

After the adoption, the transport company took measures. For example, an internal investigation, an internal audit and a provision of the internal control mechanisms followed. Moreover, the non -profit organization of the train museum in Schaerbeek was absorbed by the NMBS. The railway company proceeded to complete integration of almost all branches, including the VZW Train World, it sounds.

Train World and NMBS had filed a complaint against the employee. The person concerned was sentenced by the criminal court in March 2023 to compensate the damage suffered, 1.06 million euros. A part of that amount has already been received today, it sounds.

The employee had a gambling addiction, the VRT adds. « I am ashamed. I only realized what I had done when I was standing in front of the police services, » she responds to the public call. « For five years, a fifth of the budget of Train World was forged. And nobody noticed. All those years, nobody has checked me: do you think that is normal? »

The fraud came to light in the month that she retired. The woman set up invoices herself for, among other things, cleaning work and communication services that would have been delivered to Train World. But there was no cleaning and flyers and cameras that were on the invoices were never ordered or delivered. She put her own account number on the invoices, so that the money ended up with her and not to the companies on the invoices.