Expert calls for inquiry

 

 

from Eindhovens Dagblad, Holland Thursday June 27th 2002

By Han Gommeren

Thursday 27 June, EINDHOVEN -   The best thing would be to abolish Humana from the Netherlands, but in any case a profound investigation is required about what the certified charitable institution does with the millions gained from the clothes collections in more than a hundred Dutch municipalities, among them Eindhoven and Nuenen. The question is whether the millions are for the benefit of the Third World, as Humana says, or for the enrichment of the Danish mother organisation, Tvind.

So says the expert in development affairs,  P. Hoebink from Nijmegen universtiy  on the basis of a study of the working methods of the clothes collector.  Hoebink was a member of the commission that last year published a report about the finances of foster parents.

Hoebink mentions four reasons why he doubts the integrity of Humana, the largest clothes collector in the Netherlands:

To begin with, he points to the accusations of embezzlement and tax fraud against the cult-like mother organisation in Denmark and the arrest of the Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen in February of this year in the USA.

'In addition, I have never seen a development organisation which is involved in such a way into foundations, schools and enterprises with accounts in tax paradises.    Further, the annual report of Humana is vague with respect to the usage of money which Humana earns by selling our clothes. And then, there is an export ban placed on Humana because of their illegal export of unsorted textile which is regarded as waste by the European Union," Hoebink says.

"I do not understand why municipalities in the Netherlands still deal with such a club.   It would be good for Humana to disappear from the Netherlands, as it has done from other European countries."

Hoebink's doubts are further fostered by the contents of secret Humana documents, in possession of  Eindhovens Dagblad.    They show how every year millions of dollars can be channeled from the Netherlands via the sister organisation in Angola to Denmark without deducting tax in any of the concerned countries.

"According to these documents, there is a plan to circulate the money in such a way that it finally arrives in Denmark. This has been arranged.    While creating the impression in the Netherlands that it is money
as a gift for development aid."

A Danish woman, Britta Junge, having worked during 15 years for Humana in Angola, says that during her time 70 per cent of the income from selling clothes in Europe remained within the cult.   According to her, the documents confirm what she was involved into.

Hoebink pleads for a judicial investigation of Humana and the Tvind enterprises established in the Netherlands which export the clothes for all European Humana places of business. 'The prosecuters should first make contact with their colleagues in Denmark.'    Further, according to the investigator, it is 'very necessary' that the Dutch department for  Development Cooperation has to make an investigation about what Humana does with the money in Africa.

The Central Bureau Fundraising (CBF), having provided a mark of quality for Humana, underlines the necessity of an investigation and announces that it is to start one by itself. 'We find the contents of those documents very alarming', says deputy-director L. van Deth.

The quality mark means that Humana can be regarded as a reliable charitable organisation.   But Hoebink doesn't have much faith in that investigation.  'The CBF is a toothless organisation, time after time it has proved to be of no value whatsoever and nothing more than a certification that the books are ok.'

Humana's reaction

The Foundation Humana states on its website that 'the allegations' are absolutely incorrect and untrue.

Humana mentions that a few months ago it wrote a letter to the town halls where it collects clothes after an article in the monthly magazine GRAM (about waste management for town halls) in Holland, in February of this year. Humana found it necessary 'to take away possible doubts and to make things clear'.

The attachment on Humana's bank accounts at the beginning of this year by the cooperation VAOP was caused because of a business difference of opinion, Humana says. The organisation claims it wanted to talk about it with VAOP, but VAOP 'very unsporting immediately put an attachment on the bank accounts of Humana'.

What Humana doesn't mention in its reaction is that in the year before the same business-like problems existed between Humana and VAOP.   Alltogether Humana had a debt of 400.000 guilders to VAOP, a body that coordinates the processing of particular waste for town halls.

Humana states there is no reason to doubt its image. 'Humana is an independent, Dutch foundation with a majority of Dutch members in the board.'

Again, Humana doesn't  mention that the Tvind-Teachers Group in fact is in charge: one of the two Humana-directors is TG-member Jytte Nielsen and two of the six members of the board are members of the cult:    former director and former chairman Per Jensen and Kare-Sven Dahne.

Humana ends with the statement that it got the CBF quality mark. 'This guarantees that Humana handles the income out of the clothing collecting in a responsible way. Humana is being checked every year by independent accountants. We regret the negative publicity.'

 

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