Jewish charity gets interim head amid financial irregularities probe

The Government has appointed an interim manager at a Jewish charity being investigated for financial irregularities.

Adam Stephens, an expert on insolvency, fraud and asset tracing, was appointed to The Rav Chesed Trust by the Charity Commission to “secure the charity’s property”. He was appointed “to the exclusion of the charity’s trustees”.

The regulator began investigating the charity in 2013, after it repeatedly failed to submit annual returns. Trustees blamed the charity’s accountants and auditors, but subsequently failed to file further returns. The Trust was last known to have almost £1.5 million in income.

The Commission said Stephens’ tasks “include taking over the general administration and management of the charity and securing the charity’s property,” as the inquiry continues to examine “whether trustees have put the charity’s funds at risk”.

The Trust could not be reached for comment.