The Charity Commission has said it would have "serious regulatory concerns" if an aid charity presses ahead with plans to ask a director convicted of sexual assault at work to reconsider his resignation.

Patrick Sookhdeo, former international director of the Barnabas Aid International, a poverty relief charity which works with persecuted Christians, was found guilty in February of sexually assaulting a female member of staff while at work, and intimidating employees due to give evidence against him.

The regulator said it had already opened a case into Barnabas Aid International and its sister charity the Barnabas Fund.

“I can confirm that the Commission has an ongoing case," a spokeswoman said. "The case was opened in November 2014, after a range of concerns were raised with us, including about the conduct of the charity’s former trustee and director, Patrick Sookhdeo.

"Mr Sookhdeo has since been found guilty of a charge of sexual assault and two charges of intimidating witnesses and has resigned as a trustee."

Sookhdeo's three convictions resulted in a three-month community order for all three charges, which ran concurrently, and a three-month curfew which meant he could not leave his home from 3pm until 7am each day. He was also forced to pay the prosecution costs of £3,500 and a victim surcharge of £60.

A spokesman for Barnabas Aid International has since confirmed that after Sookhdeo's three month curfew finished, its board of trustees asked him to “reconsider his resignation” with regards to both his roles, as trustee and international director.

The spokeswoman for the Commission said the regulator is concerned by this behaviour.

“We are aware that the trustees of the charity are considering asking Mr Sookhdeo to serve again as a trustee,” she said. “This step would potentially give rise to serious regulatory concerns; we are therefore engaging with the trustees to clarify a number of points about their decision making processes.”

Civil Society News understands that Sookhdeo’s future will be decided at the organisation’s next full meeting of the board, which is scheduled for some time in June.  

While it has been reported that Sookhdeo drew a salary for his work as international director, the spokesman for Barnabas denied this.

“To clarify, Dr Sookhdeo does not take a salary and is not paid for his work with the charity,” he said.