The Charity Commission has welcomed the sentencing of Harris Polak, who admitted fraud by abuse of position by keeping money he had raised on behalf of charities for himself.

Liverpool Crown Court today sentenced Polak to 45 months imprisonment.

The prosecution said Harris Polak had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, passing only limited amounts on to the charities involved.

His victims included the charity Cancer Relief UK.

The Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, said it provided a witness statement which supported the Merseyside Police Investigation.

The Commission also shared intelligence as to the charities Polak was associated with.

Michelle Russell, head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Commission, said: “The sentence demonstrates that criminals who steal from charities will be brought to justice.

"Any form of fraud is criminal, but it is a low blow to steal from charities by tricking members of the public into thinking they are giving to worthy causes such as care for children and people with cancer.

"The Commission welcomes the court’s decision to impose a custodial sentence of 45 months. It sends a strong signal to those thinking of abusing charities in this way that they will not get away with it.

"They will be caught and brought to justice. I hope this case also reminds the public to be vigilant when approached by collectors and reminds charities of all sizes that criminals may well seek to take advantage of them in this way.

"We all need to work together to ensure fraudsters do not get away with this sort of activity. I encourage trustees of all charities to take on board the guidance in this area.”

Alistair McLean, chief executive of the Fundraising Standards Board – the self-regulatory body for charity fundraising in the UK, added: “In stealing funds intended for charitable causes, this man has not only deceived generous supporters and robbed charities, but jeopardised public trust in charitable giving. It is critical that such criminals are prosecuted and we congratulate the police for bringing this man to justice.

"Fraudulent fundraising is incredibly rare, but it is always deeply concerning. To maintain charitable giving levels, it is essential that the public can give with confidence to the good causes they care about.”

Share Story: