Sihame El Kaouakibi knows on 1 April for what facts to go to court (Antwerp)
The Chamber of Investigation Antwerp (a Chamber of the Court of Appeal, ed.) Will be a judgment in the case around Sihame El Kaouakibi on 1 April. – © Belga
The Chamber of Investigation Antwerp (a Chamber of the Court of Appeal, ed.) Will be a judgment in the case around Sihame El Kaouakibi on 1 April. That judgment must make clear for which indictations El Kaouakibi will have to answer for the correctional court, where possible a trial will start this year if there is no appeal in cassation. Some indictments were already clear, such as forgery.
Four years ago, after an internal audit, a subsidy scandal erupted around Sihame El Kaouakibi. She would have used false invoices or false agreements to apply for subsidies for her youth project Let's Go Urban, but would have channeled the funds received to other companies – for other purposes. In February 2021, the Antwerp public prosecutor opened an investigation into possible criminal offenses, which soon resulted in a judicial investigation after El Kaouakibi himself laid a complaint with civil party statement – against strangers.
In October last year, the council chamber decided to refer El Kaouakibi, her partner and the VZW Let's Go Urban to the correctional court for a falsification and subsidy fraud compared to the city of Antwerp and the Flemish Community. The Flemish Community did not agree and decided to appeal, so that the file ended up at the Chamber of Accusation. Moreover, questions about additional research were postponed various sessions of the council chamber.
The file against the former representative therefore first had to pass by the Chamber of Accusation before it can be treated for the merits for the correctional court of Antwerp. The city of Antwerp demands an amount of El Kaouakibi of 270,000 euros, the Flemish Community asks for 320,000 euros.
Let's Go Urban was declared bankrupt in June 2021, other companies of El Kaouakibi, such as the Job and Recruitment Platform Wannawork and the Wannacatch communication agency, underwent the same fate. (BLG)
