The Charity Commission has published a report on its inquiry into the Al Ikhlas Foundation, finding against one of the charity's trustees.

The investigation was opened following the arrest of one of the charity's trustees, Abbas Taj, as a result of his alleged involvement in an arson attack.

The Commission's inquiry looked at a number of issues, including that trustee's suitability to continue in his role, the make-up of the trustee body and the trustees' governance of the charity.

The charity had previously been the subject of an investigation by the Commission and the inquiry also looked at the progress made by the trustees against the commitments they previously made to the Commission during that investigation.

This inquiry concluded that as a result of the offences with which he was charged, the trustee in question was unsuitable to act as a trustee of the charity.

The Commission temporarily suspended him from office to protect the charity from further risk to its reputation and assets while the court case was pending. Following his conviction in relation to the attack, the trustee resigned.

The inquiry found a number of concerns relating to the trustees' governance of the charity.

The inquiry also found that the trustees had not adhered to all of the commitments they made at the end of the previous investigation.

As a result of the inquiry's findings the Commission used its powers under 19A of the Charities Act 1993 to issue a direction to the trustees to regularise and strengthen the governance arrangements at the charity.

The Commission will monitor compliance with the direction.

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