A couple have appeared in court accused of siphoning off nearly €900,000 from a language school in The Hague.

The 49-year-old man from Pijnacker is suspected of false accounting while working as a financial manager at Lingurama between 2006 and 2013. His partner is accused of acting as an accomplice.

A spokesman for Lingurama told local broadcaster Omroep West there had been little to indicate that the man was involved in fraud. ‘He always submitted his reports conscientiously,’ she said.

Lingurama has 19 language schools in six countries, including Dutch branches in Amsterdam and The Hague. The spokesman said the company had introduced better financial scrutiny measures since the fraud came to light.