Former head of Swedish Muslim school investigated for alleged fraud

Principal Abdirizak Waberi also ran group linked to Muslim Brotherhood

Two people are being investigated over a £380,000 fraud linked to a school in Gothenburg. Photo: Kjell Holmner

The former head teacher of a Muslim independent school in Sweden is being investigated in connection with an alleged $515,000 fraud.

Abdirizak Waberi was principal of the Romosseskolan school in Gothenburg. It is alleged he ran an association that supplied educational services to Muslim independent schools in the city.

Mr Waberi, who runs a political party in Somalia that has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, was dismissed from the school this year.

He is also a former president of the Federation of Islamic Organisations, identified by a British government inquiry as a European arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.

On Monday, prosecutors at Ekobrottsmyndigheten (Swedish Economic Crime Authority) announced they were bringing charges against two representatives of an association with links to the school.

“One of the accused is a former school leader and parliamentary politician,” it said in a statement.

Henric Fagher, chief prosecutor at the crime authority in Gothenburg, said the offences concerned “serious accounting violations”.

“This involves a large number of payments to the association totalling just under SEK 4.5 million ($514,830) and payments of approximately the same amount that have not been booked.

“Despite a large number of business events, the association has completely lacked accounting.”

He said the alleged crimes took place between 2016 and 2018.

The crime unit has also announced a preliminary investigation into fraud at the school.

“I expect to be able to make a prosecution decision in that part later this autumn,” Mr Fagher said.

“As it is an continuing preliminary investigation, I cannot comment on these criminal suspicions further.”

Mr Waberi denied the charges.