The public prosecutor’s office (OM) is moving to the Chamber of Entrepreneurs because of the administrative crisis at the IT company Centric. The company is refusing to reverse Gerard Sanderink’s appointment as director, ignoring the deadline set for the company by prosecutors.

The Chamber of Entrepreneurs is the court for possible grievances in the economy and can take far-reaching measures if the public prosecutor is right. A possible consequence is that Sanderink will be suspended.

The step was necessary because of the importance of Centric’s 3,700 employees and the resulting social unrest, according to the prosecutor. Centric did not respond to questions from the NOS.

Quarrel with his ex

Gerard Sanderink resigned as director of his companies Oranjewoud, Antea Group, Strukton and Centric in 2021 due to matters affecting him personally. For example, his relationship with Rian van Rijbroek, who poses as a cyber expert, was often in the news because it would have had a lot of influence on Sanderink’s company.

He is also in a legal dispute with his ex-lover Brigitte van Egten. He involved Centric, among others, in this dispute, whereupon three directors resigned.

The crisis led to parliamentary questions, because Centric also has many public institutions and authorities as customers. Thanks in part to Centric, DNB, BNG Bank and more than 150 municipalities keep their computer systems running.

“Strike Through the Efforts”

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) launched an investigation into Sanderink’s companies, including Centric, this summer. The public prosecutor’s office spoke to the board of directors, the works council and Sanderink himself. According to the public prosecutor’s office, this is the first time that investigations have been carried out in this way.

When Sanderink apparently returned to Centric as a director last week, prosecutors asked for that decision to be reversed. “This ends all efforts by the prosecutor, the board and the works council of Centric. The company itself does not appear sufficiently capable of restoring peace,” prosecutors said.