The Charity Commission is investigating allegations of connections to terrorist and extremist groups at an east London mosque.

The regulator confirmed in a statement that it has opened a statutory inquiry into the Masjid & Madrasah al-Tawhid Trust, the charity in charge of the Masjid-al-Tawhid mosque.

It has been widely reported that the investigation follows a number of complaints about the mosque, and could be linked to the resignation of liberal Imam Dr Usama Hasan from the mosque last month, following death threats he received for teaching about evolution and women's rights. 

A leaked Commission letter to Hasan, quoted in the national media and published in full on website Liberal Conspiracy, reveals further insight into its motivations for investigating.

In the letter, the Commission's lead investigator for the case tells Hasan that it has opened a statutory inquiry following an assessment of the concerns he raised about the abuse of the charity for terrorist or extremist purposes.

The investigator goes on to state that the inquiry will look at whether the Masjid & Madrasah al-Tawhid Trust "allowed individuals with potential links to terrorist organisations to use the charity to promote and/or express extremist views; and/or the trustees have taken appropriate steps to safeguard the reputation of the charity and any risk to the charities beneficiaries, property and assets."

The Charity Commission said that it would not officially comment on the case until the investigation is complete, and will then publish a report following the conclusion of a statutory inquiry, in line with its usual protocol.

Masjid-al-Tawhid mosque could not be reached for comment but its website reports that four trustees, including Hasan, offered voluntarily resignations, and that a six-month interim administration took affect on 17 May.