Regulator to investigate Islamic charity after concerns raised over its financial controls
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-17)

The Charity Commission is escalating its engagement with the Hussaini Charitable Trust to a statutory inquiry over ongoing concerns about the charity’s reporting of its finances.

The Hussaini Charitable Trust (https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4011735/charity-overview?_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_organisationNumber=4011735) was registered with the Commission in 2004 and is based in London. Its main activities are the advancement of Islamic culture and religion through educational means and providing support to the poor and sick.

The charity entered the Commission’s double-defaulter class inquiry for failing to submit its accounts for the financial years ending 31 March 2022 and 2023. During that inquiry, the charity went into further default for the financial year ending 31 March 2024, despite Orders from the regulator telling the trustees to prepare and submit its overdue accounts.

Further to this, a review of the charity’s bank account statements for the period 2023 to 2025 showed payments to a connected party. In June 2021, the Commission provided the trustees with regulatory advice and guidance regarding trustee payments and the trustees subsequently took action to rectify this.

The statutory inquiry will seek to establish if the trustees have continued to follow that regulatory advice and are appropriately managing conflicts of interest.

The inquiry will examine the administration, governance, and management of the charity and in particular:

the trustees’ compliance with their legal obligations for the content, preparation and filling of the charity’s accounts and annual returns

whether potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions have been properly managed and if there has been any unauthorised personal benefit

whether the charity is operating in accordance with its stated objects and for the public benefit

the financial management of the charity, including if the charity has appropriate and robust financial controls in place

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.

ENDS

Notes to editors

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. Read further information about what the Commission does (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about).

On 23 July 2025 the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and / or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

The charity failed to comply with the requirements of an Order dated 22 March 2024 issued under section 84 of the Charities Act 2011. This Order required the trustees to prepare and submit the accounts for financial year end 31 March 2022 and 2023 by 29 April 2024.

The Commission’s class inquiry for double defaulters examines charities which have failed to submit their annual accounting information for two or more years in the last five years. It reports annually: Charity Inquiry: double defaulter charities between April 2024 and March 2025 - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charity-inquiry-double-defaulter-charities-between-april-2024-and-march-2025/charity-inquiry-double-defaulter-charities-between-april-2024-and-march-2025)

The Commission publishes a range of guidance for trustees (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-commission-guidance), including: Conflicts of interest: a guide for charity trustees - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflicts-of-interest-a-guide-for-charity-trustees-cc29/conflicts-of-interest-a-guide-for-charity-trustees)