George Galloway facing fresh inquiry by charity watchdog
By Jenny Booth

The Times, 21 Dec 2005


George Galloway was tonight facing a fresh inquiry into his Mariam Appeal after recent reports connecting it with the scandal-ridden UN Oil for Food programme.


The Charity Commission has confirmed that it has opened a new investigation into the fund, this time into the source of the £1m in cash that was spent by the Mariam Appeal.

Mr Galloway, the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, has already been investigated once by the commission in 2003, after concerns were raised at the way money raised for the Mariam Appeal had been spent. That inquiry concluded that there was no evidence of the misuse of funds donated to the appeal, whose aim was to relieve suffering among Iraqi people during UN sanctions on their country.

But the Commission has confirmed today that it has opened a fresh inquiry into the appeal's sources of income. The move comes after inquiries by the US Senate and the UN into the fund, which reported that Mr Galloway's friend and associate Fawaz Zureikat had siphoned £252,000 from the UN's Oil for Food programme into the appeal.

The Jordanian businessman, who was chairman of the appeal fund, has refuted claims he made any arrangements connected to oil sales on behalf of Mr Galloway.

In a statement, the charity watchdog said that the new inquiry "will ascertain whether any funds donated to it originated from transactions conducted under the UN's oil-for-food programme.

"It will also establish what is the legal status of these funds, and examine the extent to which the trustees discharged their duties and responsibilities in accepting them."

Antony Robbins, the Comission's public relations manager, said it was impossible to predict how long the fresh inquiry would take.

"They usually take quite some time, as we have to be extremely thorough and forensic and our investigation of the evidence," he said.

"We can use our full powers under section 4 of the Charities Act, to examine documents, to request meetings with the trustees. The outcome of an inquiry can extend to anyhting from us simply giving advice and guidance, through to using the full force of our regulatory powers such as freezing the assets or a charity or removing trustees or agents. It all depends.

"The Mariam Appeal has been wound up, but we do need to go back and make sure that everything has been done properly."

The Commission said that its inquiry would take into account the evidence that underlies reports recently published by the US Senate's permanent sub-committee on investigations, and the UN's independent inquiry committee into the Oil for Food programme in Iraq.

"This is a different focus from the original inquiry opened in 2003," said the Commission's statement.

Mr Galloway could not be immediately contacted for comment.