A watchdog has escalated its investigations into “concerns raised” about a charity founded by the Duke of Sussex, amid a boardroom battle within the organisation.
The Charity Commission said it had opened a regulatory compliance case into Sentebale, a week after it emerged Harry had quit as patron.
The royal founded the organisation in 2006 in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those with HIV and Aids.
Last week it emerged that several trustees had left the charity in a dispute with its chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka, after requesting her resignation.
Harry and Prince Seeiso backed the departing trustees and announced they had resigned as patrons until further notice.
They said their resignations came “with heavy hearts”, adding that it was “devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.
Ms Chandauka alleged there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir [racism against Black women]”.
She also appeared to criticise Harry for going to the press and for what she described as “playing the victim card”.
And at the weekend, Ms Chandauka claimed the duke had tried to eject her from the charity through bullying and harassment.
A source close to the former trustees and patrons dismissed Ms Chandauka’s comments as a “publicity stunt”.
The commission said it had informed the charity on Wednesday that it had “opened a regulatory compliance case to examine concerns raised about the charity”.
The dispute, according to The Times, arose over a decision to focus fundraising on Africa.
Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer – a mentor and close friend of Harry’s – Audrey Kgosidintsi, Kelello Lerotholi and Damian West said their decision to resign was devastating but was the “result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board”.
Opening a regulatory compliance case allows the watchdog to gather evidence and “assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law”.
It is not the same as a statutory inquiry.
The commission, which said the decision to open a case came after assessing initial concerns raised, said it was in direct contact with parties who had raised concerns.
Regulatory compliance cases can lead to a range of outcomes, including an official warning being given to a charity or a statutory inquiry being opened, which can give the commission additional powers of investigation.
