The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has said it plans to remove a trustee from the Disabled Police Officers’ Association of Northern Ireland (DPOANI) following a statutory inquiry into its finances.

The Commission opened the inquiry into the DPOANI to address concerns about its “governance and financial controls” in February of last year. The Commission has now announced its intention to remove Mr William Allen QGM, who was reportedly the charity’s chair, as a “charity trustee, officer and agent of the charity”.

In October 2014, an interim manager was appointed to the charity, which aims to promote the relief and benefit of its members who have received serious physical injury while in service. This was the first time the Commission had used its powers to do so since it was established in 2009. Following this, the chief executive and four trustees of the charity were suspended.

The BBC reported at the time that concerns had been raised over, among other things, an apparent conflict of interest, potential misconduct, and non-compliance with funding conditions. The Commission was also said to be looking at whether or not the charity may have applied for double funding for some trips.

The decision to remove Allen as a trustee comes under section 33(2) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, which gives the Commission power to act for the protection of charities, following the opening of a statutory inquiry, and remove any trustee or employee who has been responsible for, or privy to, the charities mismanagement.

In order to remove the trustee, the Commission must give public notice of this proposal and invite representations to be made to it. Representations must be submitted in writing to the Commission before 25 February 2015.

The Commission said it cannot go into further detail at this time as the inquiry is still ongoing.

No one at the charity could be contacted at the charity to comment.