The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a charity that organises aid convoys, following reports that a British suicide bomber travelled with them to Syria.

The Commission is to investigate serious concerns over the governance and financial management of the charity Children in Deen. It first engaged with the charity in February over concerns relating to the organising and participating in humanitarian aid convoys to Syria. It opened the statutory inquiry on 14 April 2014.

It was reported last month that the charity had confirmed that Abdul Waheed Majeed, who allegedly drove a truck full of explosives into a Syrian prison, killing dozens of citizens and allowing inmates to escape, had travelled to Syria as part of an aid convoy which involved a number of charities but was organised by Children in Deen.

The Commission said it was aware of the comments made by the charity in the media, which confirmed that the individual who was allegedly involved in a suicide bombing had travelled to the country as a volunteer in the ‘Eid in Syria’ convoy in July 2013.
 
As part of its engagement with the charity, the Commission conducted a monitoring visit and an inspection of the charity’s financial records. It raised serious concerns about the trustees management and administration of the charity. 

In February the Commission issued a regulatory alert warning charities about the risks associated with running aid convoys.

The Commission’s inquiry will investigate the “administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees with specific regard to the operation of the charity”. As well as accessing the financial controls and management of the charity, it will be examining the financial transactions which involved overseas operations in Syria and elsewhere.

The Commission will also look at whether or not the trustees had complied and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as trustees under charity law, and examine the charity’s “due diligence and vetting procedures when administering convoys”.

A spokesperson from Children in Deen said it was in the process of getting legal advice and would not be commenting at this time.