THE HAGUE – The Advocate General at the Dutch Supreme Court has recommended that the conviction of a Dutch man for large-scale student loan fraud remain in place. The case involved falsified applications to the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO), in which the man pretended that students were enrolled at the University of Curaçao and the University of the Dutch Caribbean.

The Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal previously sentenced the man to 18 months in prison, of which six months were suspended. According to the court, he and his accomplices committed fraud, forgery, and habitual money laundering. By creating fake enrollments, tens of thousands of euros in student funding were deposited into accounts controlled by the suspect and co-defendants. The money was then withdrawn in cash, spent, or transferred onward.

The defendant appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that withdrawing digital funds in cash does not automatically constitute money laundering. However, the Advocate General rejected that claim, stating that by converting the funds into cash, the direct link to the crime is removed and the criminal origin is concealed — which constitutes laundering.

Notably, Curaçao-based institutions were falsely listed on the fraudulent forms to make the applications appear legitimate. One supposed student was claimed to be pursuing a business administration degree at the University of Curaçao, while multiple fictitious students were registered under the University of the Dutch Caribbean. Both institutions had no involvement in the fraud but were used to lend credibility to the scheme.

The Supreme Court has yet to issue its ruling, but if it follows the recommendation of the Advocate General, the conviction and prison sentence will be upheld as final.