Entrepreneur Sanderink must pay Centric 91 million euros, which he founded

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RTV East

NOS News•today, 3:36 PM

Controversial businessman Gerard Sanderink must immediately pay more than 91 million euros to the IT company Centric he founded. The Amsterdam court has determined this. Sanderink had just demanded 30 million euros from Centric, but was unsuccessful.

The conflict revolves around a loan of 80 million euros. When Sanderink was still the boss at Centric, he had that amount paid out as dividend to his holding company Sanderink Investments. The payment was converted into a loan two years later, because lawyers were afraid that the dividend payment could be detrimental to Sanderink’s other company Strukton, which had received corona support. One of the conditions for the corona support was that related companies were not allowed to pay dividends.

During the trial it turned out that Sanderink assumed that he did not have to pay back the money, writes RTV Oost. He also claimed an additional thirty million euros in dividends.

But the current board of Centric demanded the 80 million plus interest and costs back, a total of just over 91 million, and the court ruled in favor. Sanderink must pay immediately, and an appeal against this judgment will not stop the payment obligation, the court said.

Sanderink previously stated that he would be in a “financial emergency” if he had to pay. The court considers Sanderink’s fear plausible, “given the fact that dividend payments from Centric are Sanderink’s only main source of income”.

But the judges also see that the fallen Twente businessman has been “in default” for more than a year. “And there is nothing to indicate that he will be able to meet the claim in the foreseeable future.”

For years, Sanderink managed large companies, such as Centric and the construction and rail company Strukton. He has lost all control at both companies. He was expropriated from Centric in 2022. He was regularly in the news with all kinds of proceedings against his ex-wife, who was also employed by Centric. He also involved the company in that conflict, after which three directors resigned.

At Strukton, the supervisory board took over management last year “in the interests of the companies, employees and other stakeholders”. It wasn’t just about his erratic management style. Sanderink, together with other former Strukton directors, was also suspected of bribery in a major construction project in Saudi Arabia.