paroolOct 9, 2026, 18:04

City of Amsterdam permanently ends subsidies for Weekend Academy Foundation

The City of Amsterdam has permanently cut ties and subsidies to the Weekend Academie following a fraud investigation into its founder, Oguz Dulkadir. The municipality took this action after the foundation failed to account for the use of public funds and was secretly dissolved.

The City of Amsterdam has officially terminated its subsidy relationship with the Weekend Academie foundation following revelations of financial mismanagement. Investigations by the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) into founder Oguz Dulkadir led to the seizure of assets, including property and cash, after reports emerged that he had used the foundation for personal enrichment. The city launched its own inquiry after these findings surfaced, ultimately pausing funding due to a lack of transparency. The municipality eventually discovered that the foundation had been dissolved in mid-July without formal notification.

Despite the organization's prior reputation for promoting social equality and receiving national recognition, officials concluded that the foundation failed to provide necessary documentation regarding the legal use of public funds. Consequently, Amsterdam is now seeking to recover previous subsidy advances and is exploring legal avenues to hold the foundation's board accountable. Over the years, the foundation received significant financial support from multiple Dutch municipalities, with Amsterdam alone contributing approximately 5.5 million euros between 2015 and 2024.

Politics Amsterdam Haarlem Netherlands

Read original ↗

Based on reporting by parool. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

Public Prosecution Service: ‘Child soldiers’ (18 and 19) flown in from Sweden to carry out contract killings in Amsterdam and Haarlem

Two teenagers from Sweden were apprehended after being flown into the Netherlands to execute contract killings in Amsterdam and Haarlem this July. While an attempted hit in Amsterdam failed, authorities successfully intervened to stop a planned second attack in Haarlem that same night.

More than 76,000 rental homes have already disappeared from the market – landlords complain about affordable rent legislation

Since the introduction of the Affordable Rent Act in 2024, over 76,000 rental homes have been sold off by landlords across the Netherlands, tightening housing supply. Rental prices are simultaneously rising faster than inflation, with Amsterdam, Amstelveen, and Haarlem remaining among the most expensive areas for tenants.

GroenLinks-PvdA leader Klaver again calls for negotiations with the left: ‘Cabinet is sleepwalking into a crisis’

Progressief Nederland leader Jesse Klaver is calling for urgent negotiations with the Jetten cabinet to secure a majority for the upcoming budget and tax plans before the November 12 vote. Klaver warns that the government risks a crisis by ignoring left-wing parties in favor of seeking right-wing support.

Pro-Palestinian protester convicted of group insult, but receives no punishment

A pro-Palestinian protester was convicted of defaming Jewish people for making Holocaust-related remarks during an April demonstration. Although the court also found him guilty of insulting police officers, he received no fine or immediate punishment due to the personal consequences he has already faced from media attention.

Private landlords are renting out fewer properties in the city: "A problem for students"

Private rental properties in Amsterdam have decreased by 18 percent in three years as landlords sell their units due to new rent control laws and increased taxation. While this shift favors buyers, it creates a significant housing crisis for students and individuals who cannot afford to purchase property in the city.