DTZ's Dutch chairman resigns after tax fraud conviction

Cees de Jong has resigned with immediate effect as chairman of the board and partner of DTZ Zadelhoff, the Dutch office of property services firm DTZ, following his conviction for tax fraud last week.

An Amsterdam court imposed 110 hours community service and a suspended fine of EUR 45,000 after convicting De Jong of deliberately concealing information on his tax return for 1999. The court heard that De Jong had received a 340,000 guilder (EUR 154,000) discount from a contractor who was renovating his villa in the Dutch town of Bilthoven but the former DTZ chairman did not mention this benefit on his tax return.

DTZ founder and shareholder Cor van Zadelhoff expressed dismay about the affair. He noted, however, that the case was a private matter and that DTZ Zadelhoff was not directly involved.