Charity Commission vindicates Interpal

A Charity Commission inquiry, triggered by a BBC Panorama programme in July 2006 which claimed that Interpal had links with organisations promoting terrorism has, after a two-and-a-half year investigation, completely exonerated the charity. The inquiry found that “there has been nothing brought to the inquiry’s attention that suggests that the charity’s funding has been siphoned off for inappropriate or non-charitable purposes. The report goes on to say that “Interpal did maintain clear financial audit trails in their delivery of aid for humanitarian purposes”. Moreover, “allegations of bias in the distribution of aid were unfounded”.

“The charity is entitled to operate and to operate specifically in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and is entitled to continue to do so,” the Charity Commission states.

“The inquiry was triggered by a BBC Panorama programme in July 2006 which claimed that we had links with organisations promoting terrorism,” says Ibrahim Hewitt. “The broadcast was totally irresponsible. Now, after a most rigorous process, these accusations have been refuted by the inquiry. We only have one objective – to help the suffering people of Palestine, whose lives have been made even more desperate by the recent, violent Israeli aggression. This is a time when the humanitarian situation is at its worst. Seventy percent of the Palestinian population are dependent on outside aid”.

See the full story at http://www.interpal.info/archives/2245