Millions demand Bomako's head after undisclosed acts and fraud

The judicial investigation into fraud and undeclared work in Pumako has been completed. The cooling technology company from Rotselaar is said to have set up fraudulent setups for years to avoid social security contributions and withhold taxes. Nine suspects are now being referred to the Criminal Court, and the company of CEO Roel Boylins, 53, risks a claim worth millions.

In 1994, Roel Boylens founded Pomaco, a small company specializing in refrigeration technologies. It has become a success story, because over the past 30 years, the company has grown to become one of the biggest players in Flemish Brabant. In 2021, the company was named “SME of the Year in Flemish Brabant and Brussels” by Unizo.

Today Pumaco has branches in Rotselaar, Nazareth, Millet, Herenthals, Ostend and Deauville. It no longer focuses only on cooling technologies, but also on professional kitchens, heat pumps, climate roofs, camera surveillance and alarm systems.

Extensive home inspection

In order for Pomaco to be able to do all this work, it needed a large number of employees. All these wages cost the company a huge amount of money, which is why the company decided to pay its employees in the black. They were sometimes Receiving cash, or installing air conditioning equipment for individuals in the name of the company outside their working hours.

In October 2021, the Labor Prosecution decided to open a judicial investigation focusing on these payments. This eventually led to a large-scale search operation on 12 May 2022 at the Rotselaar branch. Chief executive Roel Boylins was lifted out of bed that morning – like some of his staff – for questioning.

Boylens was allowed to return home immediately after this interrogation, even though the crimes he was suspected of committing were not minor. For example, the CEO is said to have set up fraudulent structures with his company for years to evade Social Security contributions and withholding taxes.

Concretely, workers and employees at Pumaco are said to have worked long periods of overtime. These amounts were paid through various facilities, with employees receiving cash, meal vouchers, gift vouchers and in-kind purchases. For example, employees could issue multimedia and fuel oil bills themselves through their employer.

So employees worked a lot of overtime, but only the minimum showed up on their pay slips. The private use of company vehicles and work remuneration were also allegedly manipulated. The latter involves reducing employee contributions, with the aim of ensuring a higher net wage for low-wage employees, without increasing hourly wages. More than 500 employees are said to have taken advantage of the copay avoidance plans.

15 million euros

Nine suspects are now being referred to the Criminal Court. This concerns CEO Roel Boelens and his company Bumaco, but also the Bumaco group companies Kitchco bv, Electrico bv, Solairco bv and Heatco bv. Referrals are also required for members of management – KO (51), NB (49) and JH (30).

It will become clear in April whether the nine will have to answer questions before the criminal court. The National Social Security Office (RSZ) wants to recover approximately fifteen million euros, plus the fines at risk.