The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into the Middlesbrough Central Masjid and Community Centre, after repeated failures by the charity to provide the regulator with its financial accounts.

The charity is part of the regulator’s double defaulter class inquiry into charities that fail to file their accounts for two more years in 2019.

The charity did eventually file its accounts for 2019, which were overdue by 180 days.

But despite being part of this class inquiry it again failed to submit annual returns and accounts for its financial years ending 2020 and 2021. Its accounts are now 473 days overdue.

The Commission’s inquiry will look into the extent to which trustees have met their legal duties in running the charity. It will also look into any failures or weaknesses in the running of the charity that were the result of either misconduct or mismanagement.

We’ve opened an inquiry into the Middlesbrough Central Masjid and Community Centre, over concerns about the charity’s repeated failure to provide its financial accounts.

Read more: https://t.co/IkeRouZIIw pic.twitter.com/JIdYnGlE0h

— Charity Commission (@ChtyCommission) February 15, 2023

In a statement the Middlesbrough Central Mosque and Community Centre management committee said that the “delay was incurred in the submission of the documentation as a consequence of a transition of the existing administration team with age/medical related issues to new team of committed and hard-working volunteers”.

“This was further impacted upon by a lengthy delay in banking customer support during this transition. The matter is now in the process of being fully resolved,” it added.

Its most recently filed accounts, for the year ending December 2019 show its gross income was £85,280, while its spending was £39,000.

“It is a legal requirement for a charity to submit their required documents no later than 10 months after the end of their financial year end,” said the Commission.




.

Share Story: