Regulator welcomes sentencing of brother and sister after charity fraud
Source: gov.uk (2025-01-10)

Charity Commission worked closely with West Midlands Police to support investigation into individuals connected to Sikh Youth UK

The Charity Commission today (9th January 2025) welcomed the sentencing of Rajbinder Kaur and Khaldip Singh Lehal.

Rajbinder Kaur has been jailed for 2 years and 8 months after being convicted of money laundering and six counts of theft, amounting to £50,000. This followed her theft of money that had been donated to Sikh Youth UK.

Kaur was also found guilty of knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission, in an attempt to cover up the theft – as was her brother, Khaldip Singh Lehal.

Singh has been given a four-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 80 hours of unpaid work.

It is a significant step for individuals to be convicted for providing the Charity Commission with false or misleading information, under section 60 of the Charities Act 2011, and the sentences underline how seriously the courts take this crime.

The Charity Commission launched a statutory inquiry into funds held by, and raised in connection with, Sikh Youth UK in October 2018, after West Midlands Police passed on concerns relating to charitable funds raised in the name of the organisation.

The Commission provided crucial evidence to support the police in their investigation and provided written and oral evidence to the court which helped secure the convictions.

Charity Commission Deputy Director for Specialist Investigations and Standards, Tim Hopkins, said:

We welcome the strong message given today that the theft of charity funds for personal gain will not be tolerated by the courts.

Additionally, both siblings’ criminal convictions for providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission highlights how seriously the courts take the offence.

We have worked closely with the police on this case to make sure that these actions did not go unpunished.

In working together, the Commission and the police were able to effectively deliver justice, as well as uphold public trust in charitable giving.

ENDS

Notes to editors
- In 2016 the Commission was in receipt of an application to register Sikh Youth UK which, following correspondence, the applicants chose not to take forward. The Commission opened a statutory inquiry into Sikh Youth UK on 15 November 2018 which was focused on supporting the concurrent police investigation. The Commission’s statutory inquiry into funds held by, and raised in connection with, Sikh Youth UK closed upon the sentencing of the defendants and given the extensive exposition of the facts in the judgment and sentencing, no inquiry report will be published.
- Although the Charity Commission worked closely with West Midlands Police, the Commission’s inquiry was separate from the police investigation. The Charity Commission does not have power to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing.
- Section 60 of the Charities Act 2011 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/25/section/60) makes it an offence ‘for a person knowingly or recklessly to provide the Commission with information which is false or misleading’.
- The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: About us - The Charity Commission(www.gov.uk).
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