The Charity Commission has disqualified four trustees of the Organisation of Blind Africans & Caribbeans (OBAC) after concluding that the charity’s CEO used the organisation to facilitate criminal activity, while trustees failed to take any action to stop her.
OBAC, which supported blind and partially sighted people from African and Caribbean communities, has now been removed from the public register after being struck off by Companies House.
CEO Used Charity to Mask Criminal Conduct
The Commission’s inquiry found that CEO Ibukun Olashore continued to run the charity despite being convicted in April 2022 of conspiracy to breach UK immigration law and conspiracy to possess or control identity documents. The judge ruled she had used OBAC “as a front” to disguise dishonest activities.
Despite being automatically disqualified from senior charity roles, Olashore remained in post with sole access to charity funds and used the organisation to offer immigration advice illegally.
Trustees Failed to Act for Over Two Years
The inquiry found that trustees:
- Took no action after learning of the CEO’s serious criminal convictions
- Allowed the charity to be used as a vehicle for criminal activity for more than a decade
- Continued offering immigration services after the Immigration Advice Authority refused re-registration
- Sublet the charity’s offices in breach of its tenancy agreement, without understanding the lease or knowing who the subletter was
- Failed to report serious incidents, including the CEO’s conviction, a break-in, and threats to staff
- Repeatedly ignored the Commission’s requests for information and failed to attend meetings
The Commission concluded these failings amounted to serious misconduct and mismanagement.
Trustees Disqualified
After trustees failed to comply with a Regulatory Action Plan, the Commission disqualified:
- Ruth Bishop – 5 years
- Diib Jama – 5 years
- Rasheed Bello – 5 years
- Dwight Watson – 3 years
The CEO is automatically disqualified indefinitely due to the seriousness of her conviction.
Regulator: “An Abuse of Trust”
Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations, said the case represented a profound breach of trust:
“To use a charity as a cover for criminal activity is wholly unacceptable. By allowing this to continue, the trustees failed to uphold their legal duties.”
The statutory inquiry, opened in December 2022, also saw the Commission use protective powers to restrict access to the charity’s bank accounts and compel the trustees to provide information.
A full report has been published on GOV.UK.
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