Helping Hands for the Needy (supplementary report)
Updated 13 February 2019
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2019
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/helping-hands-for-the-needy-0512015-inquiry-report/helping-hands-for-the-needy-supplementary-report
This report is supplemental to the Charity Commission’s statement of results of an inquiry published on 5 January 2015.
1. The charity
Helping Hands for the Needy was registered as a charity on 6 November 2002 and was removed from the register of charities on 3 October 2017.
2. Commission’s inquiry
In January 2015 the Commission closed its inquiry into the charity and published a statement of the results of the inquiry report. This confirmed that a supplemental report would be published when the outcome of recovery action taken by the joint liquidators to recover funds directly from Mr Ashfaq, a former trustee of the charity was known.
The joint liquidators’ final progress report was made on 19 April 2017.
3. Findings from the joint liquidator’s final progress report
The joint liquidators started legal action to recover funds from Mr Ashfaq for payments he had received from the charity in breach of trust. A settlement of £100,000 was offered and accepted by the joint liquidator’s solicitors and this was received in May 2016.
The joint liquidators identified land in Pakistan which appeared to be purchased using the charity’s funds. The joint liquidator sought to arrange for this property to be sold so that funds could be recovered and corresponded with the charity’s trustees regarding this.
The joint liquidators were unable to progress the matter further due to the land being outside of their jurisdiction.
4. Action taken since the inquiry closed
The charity entered liquidation on 24 March 2011 and was subsequently dissolved by Companies House on 9 August 2017.
Following the joint liquidator’s final progress report, dissolution of the charity on 9 August 2017 and its removal from Companies House, the charity was removed from the register of charities on 3 October 2017 as it had ceased to exist. Under section 34(1)(b) of the Charities Act 2011 the Commission must remove from the register any charity which has ceased to exist or does not operate.