Luxembourg Science Center president exaggerated investments, says IGF

Didier, entrepreneur and president of the Science Center, had told RTL that he personally invested around €2.4 million into the Center, which would be due to him if the Ministry of Education were to take over the Center.

As director of the non-profit association for the Luxembourg Science Center, Didier had paid himself a monthly wage of €16,000. However, this was not widely known among all of the board of directors, save for the person who had signed the respective work contract.

MPs on the Budget Execution Control Commission were told that Didier had invested around €2.8 million in total, but had already transferred a portion of the money back, leaving around €730,000 outstanding.

Following the meeting on Wednesday, CSV MP Diane Adehm, president of the commission, explained there was a difference of €190,000 when taking salaries into account. "There are also various sums that have not been paid, which bring us to the €730,00 which Didier still expects to receive in theory", said Adehm.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education have submitted a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to continuing the Luxembourg Science Center's activities. The agreement must be signed with the Center to clarify various points before creating a new financial agreement.

Adehm explained the agreement would need to sever connections with GGM11, Didier's private American fund: "The activities that GGM11 carries out for the Science Center must be supported by the Center itself. The Ministry's conditions are clear: two government representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Inspectorate of Finance must become members of the Center's board of trustees in future."

In April, the Ministry of Education cancelled the funding agreement with the Science Center due to Didier's conflicts of interest, among other issues. Didier had refused to accept proposals aimed at modifying the Center's governance.