A British-based Muslim charity is appealing against the UK aid watchdog's decision to open a new investigation into its affairs.
Muslim Aid is accused of failing to introduce an action plan from a previous investigation which raised concerns over its lack of safeguards to ensure it was not funding terrorist groups.
A Charity Commission report in December 2018 said the way charitable funds were spent could not be accounted for and it placed Muslim Aid under a monitoring procedure.
In September the Commission launched another inquiry into the charity, which Muslim Aid is now appealing.
“I can confirm that the Commission opened an inquiry into Muslim Aid in September 2020, over concerns about the charity’s governance and management, including its failure to fully implement an action plan issued during a previous statutory inquiry,” the Commission told The National.
“The decision to open the inquiry has been appealed and is due to be considered by the Charity Tribunal.”
Previous investigations into Muslim Aid operations
This would be the Commission's third investigation into Muslim Aid.
Despite being under public scrutiny, its latest accounts from 2019 reveal it received more than £2.2 million ($3m) in government grants and contacts that year.
Muslim Aid confirmed it was appealing.
“We continue to actively co-operate with the commission and have asked for the decision to open an inquiry to be reconsidered,” the charity said.
The charity previously told The National it was “working hard to take steps to reverse the weak financial controls and management issues of the past”.
Muslim Aid employs more than 800 staff and its income in 2019 was £30.5m, with £33.1m expenditure.
After a five year investigation, a Commission report in 2018 revealed the charity had failed to carry out proper checks to ensure it was not handing out money to terrorist or extremist organisations.
Former members of the management and staff at Muslim Aid – a group operating across 70 countries – were accused of failing to complete basic due diligence checks to ensure partners and recipients of donations were not on the British government's banned lists.
The Commission concluded there was no evidence of money going to proscribed organisations but said that was down to “good fortune” rather than sound financial practice.
Regulators found Muslim Aid's Sudan branch had bought medicine from a company part-owned by the charity’s former country director, that staff in field offices were lent money without any documentary evidence of repayment and a failure to ensure its logo was not used by other groups to collect money in its name.
Muslim Aid had failed to properly check relevant channels to ensure organisations with which it was dealing were not on banned lists.
The 2018 inquiry report said it was “thereby exposing the charity to the risk of unwittingly funding a proscribed organisation ... this demonstrated a clear lack of prudence”.
Alleged links to Hamas
The findings led to an overhaul of management and a new chief executive, who left last year, was brought in.
The Commission first investigated Muslim Aid in 2010 over claims it was financing a group with alleged links to Hamas.
The regulator found no evidence that it had illegally funded a banned group but was unable to demonstrate conclusively that Muslim Aid followed “its own due diligence and monitoring procedures consistently”.
The charity was set up in the mid-1980s in response to famine in Africa and now runs emergency aid and development operations across Africa, Asia and Europe with 13 operational field offices.
It is involved in vital relief work in places such as Syria and Gaza, as well as helping the Rohingya victims of security forces in Myanmar.
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
