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Ex Montessori boss: Fraud trial set for 2017

Former Montessori chief Philip Bujak will stand crown court trial in 2017 for his alleged role in a high-value plot to defraud the Montessori St Nicholas charity over the sale of one of its London buildings.

Mr Bujak is accused of the alleged fraud spanning seven years while he was running the Montessori St Nicholas charity.

The 56-year-old is jointly charged with a number of former Montessori business associates in connection with the alleged swindle.

His alleged crimes also include corporate credit card and invoice fraud, according to City of London Police. 

Mr Bujak has been charged alongside three co-accused men and the wife of one of the men.

The judge fixed the trial to take place on 18 September next year.

The investigation was triggered after Montessori passed information to police in November 2014, and Mr Bujak was arrested in January last year.

Mr Bujak, who was the charity’s chief executive from 2003 until mid-2014, has been on bail on condition he does not have contact with any current or former employees or subcontractors of Montessori, except through his solicitor.

He is charged with conspiracy to defraud, two counts of fraud by false representation, fraud by abuse of position and furnishing false information.

Married couple Andrew Penny, 53, a supplier to Montessori, and Julie Penny, 51, from Newton Abbott, Devon, are each charged with conspiracy to defraud.

Adrian Dugdale, 44, from Notting Hill, London and Karim Eigner, 48, from Barnes, South West London, are also each charged with with fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.

While he was CEO of Montessori St Nicholas, Mr Bujak was responsible for founding the Montessori Schools Association, which has around 700 Montessori school members across the country.

Montessori St Nicholas also runs Montessori Centre International, a Montessori teacher training college, which has its offices in Mayfair. Mr Bujak has also been managing director of MCI.