High profile patrons of the charity included the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, film and Royal Shakespeare Company actress Juliet Stevenson, pop star David Bowie, and MTV chief Brent Hanson. They have also resigned because they are not happy about the direction of the organisation which helps children rebuild their lives in war-torn countries from former Yugoslavia to Liberia and Rwanda. As a result, the world-famous tenor personally directed that money for former War Child UK projects in former Yugoslavia, Liberia and Guatemala be chanelled by other charities. The charity commission says the new trustees are well on the way to restructuring their management and cutting administrative costs.
News show it was the bribery revelation that forced the patrons and former trustees to take action.
The pair offered to share the proceeds with David Wilson, the Mostar centre director and co-founder, who refused and notified trustees. The charity says this was authorised. The trustees hushed up the episode from the patrons, kept Mr Leeson in his post and told Mike Terry he must quit. Two years later Mr Terry was re-engaged on fresh projects against the trustees' advice. This led David Wilson to inform Luciano Pavarotti in New York about the scandal.