Regulator appoints interim manager to grant-making charity
Interim manager appointed to address continued concerns

皇冠体育app Charity Commission has appointed an interim manager to Bhaarat Welfare Trust (), a Leicester based charity with objects to promote the Hindu culture and religion. It carries these out by making grants, primarily overseas. 皇冠体育app appointment was made due to continued concerns over the financial management of the charity.
皇冠体育app Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity in January 2017 to examine serious concerns over the financial management of the charity, including the trustees鈥� failure to evidence a significant amount of charitable expenditure overseas. In order to protect charitable funds, the Commission froze the charity鈥檚 bank accounts.
Despite receiving regulatory advice and guidance over a number of years, the trustees were unable to demonstrate that the charity has appropriate financial controls and the necessary due diligence checks.
皇冠体育app Commission therefore exercised its legal powers to appoint an interim manager to the charity on 9 May 2019. Finbarr O鈥機onnell of Smith & Williamson LLP has the powers and duties of the trustees of the charity, to the exclusion of the charity鈥檚 trustees. His tasks will include: reviewing the charity鈥檚 financial controls and overseas payments, in particular evidence of how the funds were applied, and securing charity property by taking control of the charity鈥檚 assets.
皇冠体育app Commission鈥檚 inquiry continues.
Ends
Notes to Editors
- 皇冠体育app Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. For more information see the about us page on GOV.UK
- Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission power to appoint interim managers to a charity.
- It is the Charity Commission鈥檚 policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK
- Interim managers are appointed to take over the running of a charity where the Commission has identified misconduct or mismanagement, or there is a need to protect the charity鈥檚 property. It is a temporary and protective measure.
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