Charity investigated after all its money was transferred to trustees

10 Dec 2014 News

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity where all the money donated to it was transferred from the charity’s account to the trustees.

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity where all the money donated to it was transferred from the charity’s account to the trustees.

The inquiry was opened into the charity in April after concerns were raised by two online platforms who had picked up on “suspicious donations processed through their websites”. The charity, Yoruba Language and Cultural Heritage, had been registered since July 2012, with its objectives being to “advance the education of the public in Yoruba language, heritage and culture”.

The inquiry has only been made public today as the Commission had to make enquiries into the charity’s finances in relation to other agencies, and verify the facts before making contact with the charity.

While examining the charity, the Commission found that all of the money donated to the charity between February 2013 and February 2014 was “transferred from the charity’s account by way of cheques payable to two of the trustees”. The bank account has now been closed.

No accounts have ever been filed by the charity to the Commission, making them 178 days overdue.

The inquiry will examine whether Yoruba Language and Cultural Heritage is established as a charity and is operating for the public benefit.

It will also investigate money paid out from the charity to the trustees and whether the trustees have complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as trustees, and whether and to what extent there was mismanagement or misconduct on the part of the charity’s trustees. 

The charity has not replied to an invitation to comment.