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The UK’s Charity Commission has launched an official inquiry into the FIA Foundation road safety charity following claims by a senior politician that its independence has been compromised.
The inquiry comes after former Nato secretary general George Robertson expressed concerns to the commission about FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem becoming chairman of the FIA Foundation.
The Charity Commission, which regulates all charities in England and Wales, has issued a temporary protective order, preventing the FIA Foundation and its trustees “from entering into certain transactions without the prior written approval of the Commission”.
Robertson, now Baron Robertson of Port Ellen and a former chair of the FIA Foundation, told BBC Sport: “I notified them that the changes that were taking place were compromising that degree of independence that had been guaranteed by the statutes.”
Robertson, who also served as secretary of state for defence in Tony Blair’s government, added: “The FIA Foundation is a remarkable organisation with a huge reach into the world of saving lives on roads. And its strength is based on its independence from the FIA itself.
“So if the independence is being compromised, as it seems, then this will affect the efficiency and the effectiveness of a highly valuable road safety actor internationally.”
An FIA Foundation spokesperson said: “The Charity Commission has contacted the FIA Foundation raising regulatory issues.
“The Commission has informed the Foundation that this regulatory engagement is not a finding of wrongdoing.
“The trustees of the Foundation are confident that its affairs have been properly conducted, and they intend to co-operate fully with the Commission to achieve a speedy resolution of the Commission’s concerns.”
An FIA spokesperson said: “The FIA Foundation is independent from the FIA and a UK registered charity. It is under the control of its trustees who are required to act within the powers set out by its articles of association.”
The FIA Foundation controls about 500m euros (£433m), which it distributes to fund road safety projects around the world.
It was set up by the late former FIA president Max Mosley as a repository for the money paid to the FIA by F1 Management, then controlled by Bernie Ecclestone, for the so-called 100-year deal for the commercial rights to F1.
At the time, the FIA was paid $313.2m for the rights to F1 until 2110. The Foundation has increased its holding through investments.
Under UK law, a charity must operate independently and solely to further its charitable purposes, and not be controlled by external organisations or interests.
The Charities Act 2011 says trustees must be free from undue influence of conflicts of interest from outside parties.
The Charity Commission said its inquiry would examine the relationship between the FIA Foundation and the FIA, “and whether any conflicts of interest have been appropriately identified and managed, with specific reference to grants awarded by the charity”.
It will also investigate “whether any of the charity’s property has been or is at risk and to take action to protect such property”.
The commission said the scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge.
Ben Sulayem was appointed chair of the foundation following the removal last October of former chair David Richards, the head of MotorsportUK. Chief executive officer Saul Billingsley and company secretary Jayne Pearce have also been fired following Richards’ exit.
