The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Plymouth Islamic Education Trust (PIETY).
The charity works, amongst other things, to advance the faith of Islam in Plymouth and the counties of Devon and Cornwall.
The Charity Commission’s engagement with PIETY began in 2014, when the charity had repeatedly failed to comply with statutory reporting requirements.
Prior to the opening of this inquiry, PIETY had, on two separate occasions, been placed in the Commission’s ‘double defaulter’ inquiry for charities that have failed to file their annual documents for two or more years in the last five years.
Despite significant regulatory engagement on this matter by the Commission, the trustees have consistently demonstrated that they are either unwilling or unable to comply with their legal duties.
The inquiry will examine the extent to which the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance, and management of the Charity and in particular:
- The trustees’ compliance with their legal obligations for the content, preparation and filing of the Charity’s accounts and annual returns.
- The extent to which the trustees have complied with previously issued regulatory guidance.
- To identify if there has been any misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the Charity.
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge during the Commission’s investigation.
