Former Montessori schools chief is jailed for stealing from charity

THE former head of the UK’S Montessori schools organisation, who spent stolen charity money on expensive watercolours and on a honeymoon, has been jailed for six years.

Philip Bujak, 58, stole more than £180,000 from the Montessori St Nicholas charity to fund his luxury lifestyle and four family reunions at a four-star hotel. Bujak, who earned up to £170,000 a year as CEO from 2003 until mid-2014, also arranged kickbacks with a friend who owned a printing company to overcharge Montessori around £60,000.

His most lucrative scam came from the sale of Montessori’s St Nicholas Prep school at Princes Gate – a £13million property overlooking Hyde Park.

Bujak used a company called Foris Fortuna to act as “agent” in the sale of Princes Gate and netted himself and Adrian Dugdale, 46, a total of around £150,000. The former Army officer was caught when the charity’s finance officer noticed one supposed business trip coincided with his honeymoon.

Bujak shook his head as he was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Peter Testar said: “Right-thinking people will be astonished and appalled to discover what Mr Bujak did in taking advantage as the CEO.”’

Dugdale was spared jail for VAT fraud after the judge described him as a “decent man” who was led by others.

Bujak was issued with a company credit card shortly after joining the charity as CEO in 2003. He created false invoices to cover up personal spending on the card, describing hotel bills and Selfridges shopping sprees as “conference” and “Pr/advert”.

Bujak even used the credit card to pay for the restoration and framing of the watercolours of warships that he had bought at auction with the very same card.

He billed Montessori four times between 2010 and 2013 for various “family reunions” at The De Vere hotel at Dunston Hall in Norwich. “This hotel was a favourite haunt of the Bujak family,” said Benjamin Douglasjones QC, the prosecutor.