According to information obtained by RTL, the non-profit organisation Caritas has been the victim of a significant internal embezzlement, with over €60 million misappropriated and not allocated to the intended projects.
The embezzlement also affects the Cécile Ginter Foundation and the non-profit Caritas Accueil et Solidarité. The misappropriated funds were intended for a range of projects, including refugee reception structures and international cooperation efforts.
In the past six months, transfers from Luxembourg to a Spanish bank involved amounts ranging from €250,000 to €500,000 each. This naturally raises questions about the responsibility for these funds and the role of the banks in handling such large transactions.
The financial governance and internal accounting management at Caritas will also need to be thoroughly reviewed and analysed. Caritas management has declined to comment further on the matter to RTL.
Prime Minister Luc Frieden is personally taking charge of communication regarding the incident.
The embezzlement indirectly impacts activities that Caritas supports for the Ministries of Family Affairs, Education, and Development Cooperation.
RTL sources indicate that Caritas continues to provide services, particularly for refugees and homeless individuals, despite the non-profit no longer having significant financial reserves as a result of the embezzlement.
At this stage, the presumption of innocence applies as investigations continue.
