皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app Charity Commission has found misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees of Islamic Research Foundation International (IRFI). This includes their decision to continue to fund Peace TV channels despite several breaches of Ofcom鈥檚 Broadcasting Code.

IRFI was registered in 2007, with the aim of advancing the faith and religious practices of Islam. Its principal focus and expenditure had been to support Peace TV channels.

皇冠体育app Commission opened an inquiry into IRFI in April 2020, after engagement with the trustees about the charity鈥檚 governance and their report of a serious incident regarding the media regulator Ofcom鈥檚 investigation into Peace TV channels.

Ofcom鈥檚 investigation found that since 2009, Peace TV channels repeatedly broadcast programmes that breached the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. This included programmes that incited violence and murder, and programmes containing hate speech and abusive treatment.

皇冠体育app inquiry found that the trustees mismanaged the charity and did not act in its best interests. This included their decision to continue funding for Peace TV.

皇冠体育app inquiry also concluded that the trustees repeatedly failed to consider changes or alternatives for applying charitable funds and did not learn any lessons, following Ofcom鈥檚 adverse findings.

Between 2015 and 2020, 96% of the charity鈥檚 expenditure, amounting to around 拢3.6million, was granted to Universal Broadcasting Company, the parent company of the Peace TV channels鈥� two licence holders. Some of the charity鈥檚 trustees had been directors of companies within this group structure whilst also acting as trustees of the charity. 皇冠体育app inquiry saw no evidence that conflicts of interest were appropriately identified and managed.

Prior to the inquiry opening, the Commission disqualified by Order the charity鈥檚 founder and one of its trustees, Dr Zakir Naik, from acting as a trustee and from holding senior management functions in any charity in England and Wales. This was appealed to the Charity Tribunal which ruled in its decision of 4 December 2020 that he should be disqualified for 7.5 years.

In July 2020, the Commission appointed an interim manager to take over the management and administration of the charity to the exclusion of its trustees and to make a determination as to the charity鈥檚 viability. 皇冠体育app interim manager concluded that the charity was no longer viable. 皇冠体育app Commission issued an order to direct the interim manager to wind-up the charity, which was removed from the register on 11 May 2022. 皇冠体育app charity鈥檚 remaining funds of 拢57,950 have been transferred to three charities with similar objects.

Tim Hopkins, Assistant Director, Investigations and Inquiries at the Charity Commission, said:

This charity was mismanaged by its trustees, including through their failure to manage the charity鈥檚 relationship with Peace TV channels following Ofcom鈥檚 findings. 皇冠体育appse and other repeated governance failures rendered the charity unviable, and the Commission鈥檚 intervention has secured its dissolution.

As part of our intervention into this charity we determined that Dr Naik鈥檚 conduct makes him unfit to act as a trustee or hold senior management positions in any charity in England and Wales. Our order protects charities by prohibiting him from acting.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. 皇冠体育app Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
2. Read the inquiry report into Islamic Research Foundation International.
3. 皇冠体育app Charity Tribunal鈥檚 judgment on Dr Naik鈥檚 disqualification can be seen