The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into
Al-Khair Foundation and has restricted certain transactions.
The
charity was set up to advance religion, promote
education, support social welfare, build religious harmony and
offer relief to victims of disasters. It operates in the UK and
internationally.
Last month the Commission received a complaint alleging the
charity and its partners had connections to Hamas, a proscribed
terrorist organisation. It also alleged the charity had funded
the organisation. The regulator immediately started examining the
serious concerns raised and gathered more information to inform
its assessment. The Commission has now escalated its engagement
to a statutory inquiry.
The Commission is aware that Mohammad Yousef Hasna, an individual
employed by an organisation that the Al-Khair Foundation works
with to deliver aid in Gaza, has been arrested in the UK and
charged by US authorities for conspiring to provide material
support to Hamas. The regulator will be considering all relevant
information as part of its investigation, which will include
verifying his connection to the charity, and wider allegations
made about the charity.
The charity recorded an income of over £74 million pounds in
financial year ending 31 July 2025. Due to the concerns of
possible serious risk to charitable funds, the Commission has
issued a legal order restricting certain financial transactions
by the charity without the Commission's prior consent.
Scope of the inquiry
The inquiry will examine the extent to which the trustees are
complying or have complied with their legal duties in respect of
the administration, governance and management of the charity. The
investigation will seek to establish:
- the nature and extent of the charity's links to Mr Hasna
- whether trustees have carried out appropriate checks and due
diligence on international partners
- whether trustees are effectively monitoring the end use of
funds internationally and have appropriate policies and
procedures in place to protect funds from risk of misuse
- whether any failings or weaknesses identified in the
administration of the Charity are a result of misconduct
and/or mismanagement by the trustees
Thescope of the inquiry can be extended if additional regulatory
issues emerge.
As charity regulator, the Commission cannot investigate criminal
matters. In line with the regulator's policy, if evidence of
criminal activity is found, this will be referred to the police
which has the power to investigate.
It is the Commission's policy, after it has concluded an inquiry,
to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action
taken, and the inquiry's outcomes.
