The Charity Commission is looking into a complaint from a former Turning Point employee that the charity “lost £3m” and failed to report the loss in its annual accounts.
Ibukun Abebayo, a former IT director at the charity, wrote in a complaint to the Commission in January that funds had been "lost" through contracts with hospitals in Mastin Moor and Countisbury, although she did not specify how.
Abebayo has been involved in a long-running employment tribunal dispute with the charity, following her dismissal in August 2013 for allegedly hacking into staff emails - claims she denies.
Abebayo’s most recent allegations follow a request under the Freedom of Information Act to the Charity Commission, asking for information about previous investigations into Turning Point. Following the Commission response, Adebayo submitted a list of further concerns which she felt merited investigation, including the loss of £3m as part of the two contracts, which the Commission is now looking into.
Adebayo submitted the request after a tribunal last year ruled in her favour that she was unfairly dismissed from her post. Turning Point appealed against the decision, and Adebayo has cross-appealed against Turning Point. She told Civil Society News she had submitted the FoI to gather evidence for this appeal.
Yesterday a Charity Commission spokesman told Civil Society News it was “examining” the latest complaints.
“We received a complaint about the charity in 2013," the spokesman said. "The charity cooperated fully with us and we were satisfied that there was no regulatory role for the Commission at the time.
“We have received a further complaint which we are assessing to determine whether there are matters for the Commission.”
A spokeswoman for Turning Point told Civil Society News that the charity "invited Adebayo to provide evidence of these claims" but that she "failed to provide this to us, our independent auditors, the Charity Commission or to the Employment Tribunal".
"Adebayo continues to make a number of unsubstantiated allegations," the spokeswoman said. "All of our activity is reported in our annual accounts which are fully audited in a transparent process every year.
"As there are ongoing legal proceedings between Turning Point and Mrs Adebayo, it is not appropriate to comment any further at this time."
This is the latest in the dispute between Adebayo and the charity. Last year she accused the charity of black-on-black racism and called for mass resignations of the charity’s senior staff.
