It is about money that would have gone to individual teachers within the framework of the state initiatives Teacher Lift, Career Services and Teacher Pay Lift.

But the National Agency for Education's control indicates major deficiencies in the internal documentation and a total of SEK 1.1 million is now required back.

"The three school principals have not been able to show that they have used the grants in accordance with current regulations and therefore we are demanding money back," said Andreas Spång, head of state grants at the National Agency for Education, in a press release.

Sentenced for eco crime

Al-Azhar, which runs Muslim-oriented free schools in several locations in the country, has been in blustery weather before. Last summer, several former board members were convicted in the owner's foundation for serious eco crimes. Among other things, the 51-year-old founder of the foundation had to withdraw SEK 10 million from the foundation to start a bank.

When the suspicions became known last fall, the National Agency for Education initiated an investigation to also investigate grant fraud. The review has included the foundation in Örebro and Vällingby in west Stockholm, as well as a subsidiary of the foundation in Vällingby.

Prayer on lessons

The three principals have received state grants totaling approximately SEK 14 million over the past four years. The control covers 10 million of these.

In the past, the Al-Azhar school has also been criticized for, among other things, gender-divided gymnastics lessons and prayer during lesson time, which is contrary to the school law.