Press release

New charity investigation: Khalsa Missionary Society

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into charity Khalsa Missionary Society, registered charity number 1126873.

From:
The Charity Commission
Published
18 February 2015

This news article was withdrawn on

No longer current. The report has now been published.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into Khalsa Missionary Society (registered charity number 1126873). The inquiry was opened on 16 September 2014.

The charity has objects to advance the Sikh religion in the UK through holding prayer meetings and lectures, and producing literature on Sikhism.

The inquiry has been opened as a result of an ongoing investigation by the Home Office into suspected immigration abuse.

The issues the commission inquiry will examine include whether:

  • the charity was set up and registered with the commission for an improper purpose and/or operating for the public benefit

  • the charity has been used for a non-charitable purpose

  • the trustees have personally benefitted from charitable funds in breach of trust

  • the trustees have misapplied charitable funds for an improper purpose

  • the trustees have complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as charity trustees in the proper administration of the charity

The regulator has exercised its powers under section 76 of the Charities Act 2011 and suspended one of the charity’s trustees.

The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail and investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been and/or the extent of misconduct and mismanagement; establish the extent of the risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work; decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

It is the commission’s 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 by the commission are available on its website.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

PR07/15

Notes to editors

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales.

  2. Our mission is to be the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, acting in the public’s interest, to ensure that: * charities know what they have to do * the public know what charities do * charities are held to account

  3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Charity Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of protective and remedial powers. Section 76(3)(g) of the Act is temporary and protective power available to the commission after an inquiry has been opened to appoint an Interim Manager. This role is supervised by the commission in accordance with section 78 of the Act.

  4. The commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.

Read more information on the commission’s policy and factors taken into account when deciding to issue a press release.

Published 18 February 2015