Communication of 31 July 2024

Over a week ago, Caritas Luxembourg discovered that 61 million euros had been stolen through fraudulent manipulation.

Faced with this crisis on an unprecedented scale, the Fondation Caritas Luxembourg and Caritas Accueil et Solidarité A.s.b.l. (‘the entities’) reacted immediately and took the necessary measures.

Their Boards of Directors are taking all necessary measures to :

• to preserve and continue the activities and jobs of the entities,
• restore confidence in the entities and protect the Caritas name, and
• analyse the situation and identify options for the future in order to recover the sums stolen.

In its press release of 24 July, the Government asked Caritas Luxembourg to assume its responsibilities. From the outset, the Boards of Directors have taken all the necessary measures and will continue to do so for as long as is necessary.

To this end, and after ensuring that July's salary payments would reach employees on time, the Boards of Directors took the following decisions:

• To set up a crisis committee which will have the power and agility to take the necessary decisions to restore the confidence of donors, the general public and public authorities in the entities.

This crisis committee will be chaired by Mr Christian BILLON, economic consultant and former chartered auditor, who has extensive experience of activities in the social sector. It will also be composed of :

• Ms Marie-Josée JACOBS,
• Mr Marc HENGEN,
• Ms Nathalie FRISCH, and
• Mr Philippe SYLVESTRE.

The Boards of Directors believe that it is imperative for an external and independent person to oversee governance during the crisis in order to restore confidence.

Mr BILLON has the unanimous confidence of the Boards of Directors to carry out his mission and this crisis committee will take, always with the voice of its Chairman, the necessary decisions for the entities.

• Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Société coopérative (‘PwC Luxembourg’), to provide operational support to the Crisis Committee and to conduct the investigations required to uncover the facts.

PwC Luxembourg was chosen for its knowledge of the non-profit sector in Luxembourg and for its experience in the assignments entrusted to it. PwC Luxembourg will provide operational support to the crisis committee, under the responsibility of Ms Tiphaine GRUNY, réviseur d'entreprises agréé and partner at PwC, and will conduct the investigations required to uncover the facts, under the responsibility of Mr Michael WEIS, partner at PwC.

An internal communication was sent to all staff on 28 July to inform them of this new organisation. Employees will be kept informed as developments occur.

The Boards of Directors wish to thank once again all the employees of Caritas Luxembourg for their daily commitment to the most disadvantaged and assure them that everything will be done to preserve and continue the activities of the entities.

For all external contacts, in particular the press, please contact the Caritas Luxembourg communications department.

Christian BILLON
President of the Executive Crisis Bureau, Fondation Caritas Luxembourg and Caritas Accueil et Solidarité ASBL

Marie-Josée JACOBS
President of the Fondation Caritas Luxembourg and administrator of Caritas Accueil et Solidarité ASBL