Court orders closure of Glasgow charity amid ongoing OSCR Investigation

The Glasgow Sheriff Court has ordered the winding up of Glasgow-based Pollokshields Development Agency amid an ongoing OSCR inquiry.

The court’s decision on 22 August coincided with public reporting that same day by Third Force News of financial discrepancies in PDA’s accounts, underlining growing concerns about the charity’s governance.

These discrepancies included significant cash withdrawals, retrospective mileage claims, and a sharp rise in travel expenses in the 2023 financial year. PDA also reported incurring costs during a period when the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) had frozen its bank account and restricted its operations.

The charity’s office bearers told Police Scotland that all funds had been used for charitable purposes and that the accounts were externally audited. However, Shah & Co, the charity’s accountants, stated that they prepared the accounts from figures provided by the trustees and do not provide an audit opinion.

As previously reported, according to Companies House, PDA’s cash reserves fell from £66,651 in March 2023 to £672 by March 2024. The charity has also failed to submit annual accounts to OSCR, now nearly eight months overdue.

The court decided that winding up of the charity was in the best interests of creditors and the public, ensuring the charity’s remaining assets are safeguarded and its financial affairs fully examined. Liquidators now have powers to require trustees to provide records and account for spending.

The decision follows months of examination by court appointed provisional liquidators and a two and a half year inquiry by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), which began in May 2023 after a sudden change in trustees.

Chair Jahangheer Hussain, 47, declined to comment to TFN. Other trustees did not respond to requests for comment.

OSCR confirmed its own inquiry is ongoing and stated it cannot comment further while the investigation remains active.

The charity’s remaining affairs are now being managed by the AAB Group, 133 Finnieston Street, Glasgow, G3 8HB.