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Former French Commissioner for Jewish Affairs Charged with Embezzlement of Jewish Funds

January 27, 1944
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Darquier de Pellepoix, notorious anti-Semite and former French Commissioner for Jewish Affairs, was recently arrested by the Vichy authorities on the charge that he embezzled funds confiscated from Jews and entrusted to him under the anti-Jewish laws, it was learned here today. After several days of imprisonment, he was released pending investigation.

In Holland, the commander of the “Jewish concentration camp” at Vught, a local Gestapo leader named Chmilefski, has been dismissed as a result of strife among Nazi functionaries over spoils stolen from Jewish prisoners, it is reported in the clandestine paper “Het Parool” received here today.

“When new transports of Jewish prisoners arrived at the camp they were ordered to disrobe on the pretext of delousing their clothes.” the paper states. “What actually happened, however, was that their clothes and paraphernalia were looted for valuables, Chmilefski and his henchmen appropriating them for themselves. Berlin officials had no objection to stripping Netherlands Jews of their property but the Nazi bosses were loath to see the valuables go into the pockets of the Vught camp personnel. In addition Chmilefski was in the habit of holding back for himself a part of the prisoners’ hunger rations, but that didn’t worry the storm troop hierarchy any,” the article adds.

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