The former owner of the Big Bazar store chain has been sentenced to one year in prison, according to a ruling by the Zwolle court. The court found that the accounting records of five businesses were not in order, and that the Frisian retail entrepreneur deliberately withheld accurate information from the tax authorities, thus violating tax laws.
Additionally, the 52-year-old Kooistra has been banned from starting a new business for five years. In October of the previous year, Kooistra was already sentenced to 200 hours of community service for failing to file personal income tax returns for a decade.
Earlier this month, the Public Prosecution Service demanded an 18-month prison sentence, six months of which would be suspended, and the court has now partially agreed. In 2021, Kooistra took over the bargain chain Big Bazar from Mirage Retail Group, the parent company of the now-bankrupt Blokker.
The takeover was unsuccessful, and due to increasing rent arrears, unpaid suppliers, and tax debts, the company collapsed in 2023. During the handling of Big Bazar’s bankruptcy filings, the court found that Kooistra struggled to provide insight into the operations of the retail chain.
Source: NOS