Press release

Inquiry opened into charity operating in West Africa

皇冠体育app regulator鈥檚 concerns relate to the charity鈥檚 financial management and record-keeping.

皇冠体育app Charity Commission has opened an inquiry into due to its failure to submit accounting information and concerns about its financial controls.

皇冠体育app charity was registered in 2006 and works to provide water, sanitation and healthcare to communities in West Africa.

Enquiries by the Commission identified concerns about the charity鈥檚 financial controls, record-keeping and the use of its funds including payments to a third-party and overseas payments.

皇冠体育app regulator wrote to the trustees setting out its regulatory concerns, which included potential financial misconduct and inadequate record-keeping, but the responses it received failed to provide adequate assurances or documentation.

In order to protect the charity鈥檚 assets and investigate further, the regulator opened a statutory inquiry on 16 August 2023. 皇冠体育app inquiry will examine:

  • the extent to which the trustees are complying with their legal duties in particular their accounting and reporting responsibilities; their compliance with the charity鈥檚 governing document, and their oversight of charitable expenditure and end use of funds
  • whether potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions have been properly managed
  • the trustees鈥� plans for the charity鈥檚 future

皇冠体育app Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission鈥檚 policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry鈥檚 outcomes.

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. 皇冠体育app Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
  2. 皇冠体育app inquiry was opened on 16 August 2023 under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011.

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Updates to this page

Published 8 September 2023