A charity run by Didier Drogba is under investigation over "serious regulatory concerns" by the Charity Commission.
More than £1.7m has been raised by the Didier Drogba Foundation in the UK over the last five years but only £14,115 has been given to good causes, according to claims made in the Daily Mail following an investigation.
Drogba, who now plays for the Canadian Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact, has denied the allegations in a lengthy, strongly worded statement, in which he said he would issue legal proceedings against the newspaper.
The Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, has contacted the foundation for an urgent response with concerns that it has “provided misleading information to donors and the public”.
David Holdsworth, the chief operating officer at the Charity Commission, said: “The commission has serious regulatory concerns about a number of compliance issues raised and have contacted the charity to seek an urgent response.
“In particular, the commission has concerns about the administration of the charity and the oversight provided by trustees, all of whom appear to live abroad, as well as allegations that the charity has provided misleading information to donors and the public.
“Further, the charity has raised and accumulated significant sums of money that have not yet been spent and further information is required over the plans to spend those funds. All these issues merit further investigation by the commission.
“Charities must be accountable and transparent to donors and members of the public who expect charities to operate and abide by the highest standards. Trustees have ultimate responsibility for governing a charity and directing how it is managed and run. All trustees must take these responsibilities seriously in order to ensure that the public can continue to have faith in the vital role charities play in society.”
The Daily Mail claims that out of the £1.7m in donations seen in the charity’s accounts, £439,321 was spent putting on fundraising parties compared with £14,115 spent on good causes.
Princess Beatrice, David Beckham, Bono, Frank Lampard, Christine Bleakley, Pele, John Terry, Roger Federer and Donna Air are among the charity’s backers.
The foundation told the Daily Mail it had a separate organisation with the same name set up in the Ivory Coast that had funded several charitable projects in Africa since 2007.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Drogba said he had sent legal letters and 67 pages of documents advising the Daily Mail its information was “factually incorrect and libellous”.
“The Daily Mail by such irresponsible journalism are jeopardising the lives of many thousands of African children,” he said. “The effect on these kids in need of healthcare and education is unimaginable.”
He added: “Despite their claims, there is no fraud, no corruption, no mismanagement, no lies, no impropriety.”
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