EU suspends subsidies
NOHA Brussels misses out on 500K
This according to a summons NOHA Brussels served to Herman, which UKrant has access to. The amount is part of a larger claim totalling 1.9 million euros.
The NOHA consortium receives annual European funds from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), as part of the European Committee.
After the irregularities at NOHA Groningen came to light, ECHO suspended the remaining payments of 120,000 euros for 2018. On top of that, they also forewent signing off on the subsidy for 2019, at the sum of 400,000 euros.
NOHA
NOHA is an international partnership of universities that focuses on improving humanitarian aid. The RUG is part of this consortium and is one of eight universities offering the International Humanitarian Action master programme.
In March 2019, the coordinating office of NOHA Brussels found irregularities in payments to the RUG. Rather than being paid directly to the university, subsidy funds were being paid to Stichting NOHA Groningen.
This foundation was set up by professor Joost Herman, among others. Herman was responsible for the programme in Groningen between 2005 and 2014, served as its financial director, and was made director of NOHA Brussels in 2014. After the RUG commissioned an external investigation into the funds, Herman was fired in January.
Claims
NOHA Brussels will be claiming 1.4 million euros that were intended for the RUG but ended up in the bank account of Stichting NOHA. They’re demanding Herman pay them the money.
The RUG is also claiming money from Herman; a summons the university served to the fired professor says it wants approximately 1.2 million euros from him.
It’s not yet been determined when the case will appear before the court.