A former charity boss accused of fraud said he paid back more than £100,000, and denies any wrongdoing, a court heard on Wednesday.

Former chief executive of the All Wales Ethinic Minority Association (Awema), Nasir Malik, stands accused of using the charity’s funds for personal use, including writing cheques to himself, clearing personal credit card debts, paying for a life-insurance policy and buying cat litter.

Malik told Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday that he believed he was promised life-insurance funds as part of a new company pension plan. He said talks within the charity about implementing a pension plan had “rumbled on” for a number of years and that he was the first member of staff to use the package as he had been there the longest.

Malik said £100,000 was mistakenly paid to Awema through a government grant and he repaid it once he realised the mistake.

The 65-year-old said: “We were given the [EU] Convergence funding twice. I alerted one of the Welsh Government’s civil servants about this but he informed me that it was money we were due.

“I set aside the money in a bank account...and had to persuade them over several months to take it back. It took them about a year.”

He also denied writing two blank cheques to himself, saying only former finance director Saquib Zia had the key to the drawer where the cheques were held.

Awema was set up in 2000 to promote equality and diversity across Wales. It folded in 2012 following claims of financial mismanagement.

The trial continues.