Former Erasmus MC professor faces twenty months in prison

Gerrit S., emeritus professor of Oncology at Erasmus MC, faces twenty months in prison if the Public Prosecutor gets its way. For years, S. allegedly accepted money from the pharmaceutical industry, according to Dutch newspaper de Telegraaf.

The pharmaceutical companies deposited money into a secret Luxembourg bank account. S. then collected the money from the bank and hid it under his spare tyre. Back in the Netherlands, the retired professor concealed hundreds of thousands of euros in cash in the ventilation shafts of his apartment.

S. is the first ‘black saver’ to face legal proceedings for tax avoidance. During a raid last year, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) confiscated a small private plane, two mortgage-free apartments in Amsterdam, a Mercedes, and 775,000 euros in cash.

During the trial, S. claimed that he had considered using the voluntary disclosure scheme for tax avoiders several years ago. “But I am digitally illiterate, and didn’t know how to proceed,” said S.

3.5 million euros

The Public Prosecutor is demanding a prison sentence of twenty months and confiscation of all his property. The Public Prosecutor is also demanding a ‘confiscation order’ of 3.5 million euros. Judgement will be in two weeks’ time.