The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charitable school over the trustees' failure to resolve a land dispute.
During a separate 2022 inquiry into Darul-Uloom School London, the commission found that a disqualified former trustee had made representations to the charity’s trustees asserting ownership of the land on which the school is based.
Darul-Uloom School London is a charity that operates a school providing Islamic and national curriculum education to boys aged 11 to 19.
Evidence shows that the land is held on trust by the charity, the commission has said, rather than being the personal property of any individual.
The commission has contacted both the charity’s current and previously disqualified trustees over the property issue, but said they have failed to act despite being given repeated deadlines to resolve it.
The regulator is concerned that the property of the charity is at serious risk and has escalated its engagement to a statutory inquiry.
Its inquiry will evaluate the trustees’ administration, management, and governance of the charity.
It will also consider the conduct of the trustees and their compliance with legal duties and responsibilities as it relates to the land dispute.
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if any additional regulatory issues emerge.
Darul-Uloom School and its trustees have been contacted for comment.
Previous investigation
A previous inquiry was opened by the commission into the charity in 2018 after its former trustee and teacher at the school, Yusuf Masa, was arrested following reports he was “brandishing a firearm” on the premises.
He was charged by police with the offence of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear. Yusuf Masa was also the school’s safeguarding lead at the time of the arrest.
Yusuf Masa is the son of the then headteacher of the school, Mustafa Masa, who was also arrested in connection with the incident. However, no further action was taken against him.
After the incident, the police searched the charity’s premises and found over £400,000 in cash, which was being kept in a wooden chest.
The commission’s inquiry concluded in 2022 that there was serious mismanagement and misconduct in the administration of the charity and prohibited both Yusuf and Mustafa Masa from holding trusteeships again.
It also revealed that conflicts of interest at the charity were not adequately recognised or managed by the board, which was ruled as further evidence of misconduct and mismanagement at the charity.
