£22 million cheque-cashing scandal triggers investigation into eight Jewish charities
Inquiry comes after HMRC probe into the financial activities of 105 charities between 2021 and 2023
The Charity Commission has launched inquiries into eight Jewish charities suspected of issuing cheques later exchanged for cash, following evidence uncovered during an HMRC raid on a Hackney-based company.
The widespread inquiry, announced today, comes after HMRC revealed that 105 charities had collectively cashed £22 million in cheques between December 2021 and March 2023.
The Jewish charities under formal investigation are Beis Aharon Charitable Trust Limited; Mifal Hachesed Vehatzedokoh; Friends of Beis Soroh Schneirer; One Heart – Lev Echod; Yad Vochessed Association Limited; Friends of Beis Chinuch Lebonos Trust; Chasdei Dov Trust and Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka.
These organisations state their primary purposes include education and poverty relief and the advancement of Orthodox Judaism.
The inquiry will focus on if trustees had proper oversight of these transactions and whether funds exchanged for cash were used in line with each charity’s objectives. Investigators will also assess whether trustees acted in their charities’ best interests.
The Charity Commission said: “These organisations were prioritised based on the volume and value of cheques involved. The number of charities under investigation is expected to increase as the inquiry progresses. Using its statutory powers, the Commission has issued an immediate temporary order preventing the charities under investigation from issuing further cheques without prior consent. The inquiry will establish the facts around how these funds were handled and whether the trustees fulfilled their legal duties.”
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