The Charity Commission has announced the names of 13 charities which it had already opened statutory inquiries into, including Muslim Aid, the Islamic international aid charity.

Muslim Aid, which works in over 50 countries and has an income of around £25m a year, said it was under investigation followings its own report of “non-compliance with some operational aspects in two field offices”.

It would not confirm what the non-compliance involved or which field offices were involved.

“Muslim Aid can confirm that the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry in October 2013,” a spokeswoman for the charity said. “The inquiry was launched as a result of Muslim Aid’s own notification to the Charity Commission of non-compliance with some operational aspects in two field offices.

“Muslim Aid’s own investigations have concluded and remedial actions have been taken resulting in minimising potential risks to the charity’s operations.”

The Commission said in a statement that the decision to publish the names was down to a change in its policy on announcing investigations.

It said that previously it only published the names of charities under inquiry if there were “specific public interest arguments” for doing so. But now it only withheld names if there were special circumstances

New online search tool 

The changed approach comes ahead of the launch of a new and improved online charity search tool, expected this summer, which will flag those charities which the regulator has publicly announced it is investigating. 

The Commission said: “As part of the new approach, the Commission has reviewed the charities currently subject to statutory inquiry and has concluded that it is in the public interest to disclose the names of a further 13 charities under investigation.”

Other charities under investigation are:

• Abundant Life Housing Association Limited
• Bangladeshi Parents and Carers Association
• Guild Childcare
• Islamic Waqf Foundation
• Khalsa Centre
• Life Changing Ministries International Church South Cheshire Trust
• Love for Children (UK)
• Muslim Aid
• Quba Education and Cultural Association
• Quba Islamic Centre in Leicester
• Rebound Gateway Group
• Relief for Distressed Children and Young People
• The Kertes Foundation