Regulator orders charity linked to fake Covid-19 ‘cure’ to shut
The Charity Commission concludes its inquiry into The Kingdom Church GB and bans preacher for 15 years.
The Commission opened a statutory inquiry into The Kingdom Church GB following reports that the church’s pastor and trustee, Bishop Climate Wiseman, was using a website linked to the church to sell a fake Covid-19 remedy.
The preacher was later found guilty of fraud at Inner London Crown Court.
In the course of its inquiry, the Commission appointed an interim manager to conduct a review of the charity’s governance, and as a result of the findings, the inquiry determined the charity should be wound up and dissolved. The charity was removed from the register on 21 February 2023.
The Commission’s inquiry concluded that the trustees for The Kingdom Church GB had:
- Allowed Wiseman to unilaterally make decisions about the charity.
- Failed to manage conflicts of interest between Wiseman’s business interests and the charity.
- Demonstrated poor financial controls and management.
- Failed to keep accurate charity records.
- Exposed the charity’s reputation to undue risk by allowing the charity to be linked to Wiseman’s private business interests, including the Covid-19 scam.
As well as directing the Interim Manager to close the charity, the Commission disqualified Wiseman from being a charity trustee or holding a senior position in a charity for 15 years. Five other trustees were disqualified for varying lengths of time.
Helen Earner, Director of Regulatory Services at the Charity Commission, said:
The public rightly expects charities to be places of safety.
Trustee Bishop Climate Wiseman fell woefully short of that expectation when he scammed vulnerable people at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Charity Commission acted robustly to investigate the charity and its governance, and ultimately concluded that The Kingdom Church GB should be wound up and removed from the charity register.
Read the full report detailing the findings of this inquiry.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into The Kingdom Church GB on 7 August 2020 under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011.
- On 25 January 2024, the Charity Commission published the report of its statutory inquiry into The Kingdom Church GB.
- Bishop Climate Wiseman was found guilty of fraud in relation to the Covid-19 scam after Trading Standards brought a case against him in December 2022. He lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction in November 2023.
- The 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.
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