According to a source at Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles “will never again handle substantial cash donations” to his charities after receiving €3 million in bags from a former Qatari prime minister.
The Prince of Wales came under fire after receiving money from a former Qatari prime minister between 2011 and 2015 that reportedly totaled three million euros, some of it in a suitcase.
The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF) received gifts from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, who served as Qatar’s prime minister from 2007 to 2013, according to The Sunday Times.
On Wednesday, a royal insider stressed that the future king follows advice and that similar occurrences had not occurred in the previous five years and would not occur again.
In addition to additional allegations of cash-for-honors, campaign organization Republic urged full transparency over the situation, calling the events’shocking’ and asserting that they pose “serious issues about Prince Charles’s judgment.”
According to the royal source, the money was given right away to his charities, and it was up to them to determine whether or not to accept the donation.
‘And they did so, and the auditors examined it after they ensured that it followed all the proper procedures.
The Prince of Wales follows recommendations. Over time, situations and settings change.
The source continued, “With the scenario as it has developed for more than five years, this has not happened and it would not happen again.”
“This is now, and that was then.”
The funds were “passed quickly” to one of the prince’s charities, according to Clarence House, and “proper governance” was practiced.
According to a statement, “Charitable gifts received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were immediately forwarded to one of the prince’s charities who carried out the proper governance and have told us that all the correct protocols were followed.”
The Sunday Times reported that at one meeting at the prince’s mansion, Clarence House, a donation of one million euros was made.
The charity, which was established in 1979 with the goal of transforming lives and creating sustainable communities, distributes money to non-profit organizations that are registered in the UK in order to carry out initiatives within the UK, the Commonwealth, and abroad.
Although it is lawful to give and receive large sums of cash, concerns regarding large ready-money transactions have emerged recently.
They can be used to assist in the laundering of illicit gains and may confer significant advantages on tax evaders.
Although “the optics are terrible,” a supporter of Charles acknowledged that “no regulations were breached” and that the uniquely packed donations were likely accepted to “avoid offending” the sheik.
However, a Charity Commission official stated Friday that the organization is “evaluating whether there is a role for the commission to investigate these problems.”
Only recently have the Metropolitan Police and Charity Commission begun to look into claims of a different kind about connections between Charles’ Prince’s Foundation, a separate organization from the PWCF, and the foundation of Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak Bin Mahfouz.
Michael Fawcett, a former close confidant of Prince Charles, and he were both investigated for the allegations.
Mr. Fawcett was accused of pledging to work with another one of Prince Charles’ charities, the Prince’s Foundation, to get a Saudi billionaire donor a knighthood and British citizenship.
The prince reportedly had “no awareness” of the alleged cash-for-honors scam, according to Clarence House.
The most recent allegations involving Middle Eastern funds, according to the Sunday Times, involved £2.5 million in donations made by Sheikh Hamad, 62, between 2011 and 2015.
The sheikh, who served as Qatar’s prime minister from 2007 to 2013, reportedly had Prince Charles personally take his donations.
On one instance, Fortnum & Mason, a high-end retailer, is claimed to have given away over £900,000 in carrier bags.
The sheikh allegedly presented the prince £850,000 in a holdall at a separate private encounter they had in 2015 at Clarence House.
Aides are reported to have counted the funds before depositing them into the prince’s charity account at central London’s Coutts royal bank. The €500 notes are known as “Bin Ladens” due to their appeal with terrorists and drug lords looking to launder money.
The sheikh meetings were not listed in the official Court Circular that lists royal commitments.
No one appears to have done anything unlawful, but the manner in which the transactions were made has many people scratching their heads.
The sheikh is rumored to consider Britain his second home and has a personal fortune of up to £10 billion.
However, he has been forced to refute accusations that he authorized the alleged “torture” of a British citizen and to insist that he was unaware of Qatar’s financial backing for the Syrian group Nusra Front, which was originally associated with Al Qaeda.
According to a spokesman for Clarence House, who made the following statement yesterday, “Charitable donations from Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim were immediately passed to one of the prince’s charities, who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us all the correct processes were followed.”
The sheikh was described as “legal and validated” by Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman of the PWCF, who also said of the monetary donations: “There was no failure of governance.”
The PWCF, which was founded in 1979, awards funds to nonprofit organizations worldwide engaged in community projects.
According to the Charity Commission, organizations should think about “if a donation appears to have any suspicious qualities” and note whether it is made in cash.
Trustees are admonished to consider “what is known” of the donor, specifically if they are a UK taxpayer and whether Gift Aid tax benefits may be claimed.
The commission also issues the following warning: “Have any public concerns been expressed regarding the contributors or their activities?
Would bad press about the donor hurt the charity if it were to appear?
The sheikh’s attorneys remained silent. Concerning monetary payments, Coutts claimed to have “strong policies.”