The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity that spent nothing on charitable activities, but almost £1m on raising money and governance, while claiming that olive oil had healing powers. 

Gilbert Deya Ministries has branches around the UK and was set up by Gilbert Deya, a Kenyan preacher, who refers to himself as the Archbishop of Peckham, and is listed on the Charity Commission’s website as one of its trustees. 

In January 2016 Deya was filmed by undercover Sun reporters claiming that special olive oil could cure diseases such as HIV and cancer and that he could help infertile couples conceive. He denied the claims.

Its most recent accounts, for the year ending 31 December 2014 show a total spend of £996,000.  Almost £300,000 was spent on governance costs, £43,500 on raising funds and £660,000 on generating voluntary income.

Almost all of its income, £865,620, was categorised as voluntary income. 

A breakdown of its activities, included in the annual report show that it spent £40,000 on “motor expenses”, £75,000 on guest preachers and £80,000 on radio/TV ministry and expenses. 

The regulator said it had concerns about the charity’s safeguarding policies, practices and procedures. It says it has been trying to address these with the trustees “who have failed to report serious incidents”. 

It is also concerned about media reports referring to healing olive oil. 

Under section 47 of the Charities Act the Commission has now directed trustees to answer its questions. 

On its website the charity claims that Deya is “a man of faith whom the Lord God ordained to propagate the gospel of God’s Kingdom, he has reached many dignitaries, kings and queens, including Her Majesty the Queen of England and Wales” and that: “The incredible and outstanding miracles he performed in the name of the Lord became highly contradictory and had negative publicity but the truth remain that he has never found guilty by the court of Law in UK and abroad despite negative Media houses worldwide.”