UK's Prince Charles under fire for accepting $3.2mn from former Qatar PM
The United Kingdom’s Prince Charles received more than $3 million in cash from a senior Qatari politician, a newspaper report has revealed.
The Times of London reported that during private meetings between 2011 and 2015, the Prince of Wales personally accepted three bundles of cash, worth about $3.2 million, from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar.
According to the report, the money was given on two separate occasions. Charles' aides were uncomfortable with the transfers but did little to intervene.
In a statement to Insider on Monday, Charles’ office, Clarence House, rejected the allegations of receiving the money for personal interests.
"Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were passed immediately to one of the Prince's charities who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us that all the correct processes were followed," the statement noted.
The prince’s charitable fund rejected the possibility of any illegal activity and told the newspaper that the donor was a "legitimate and verified counterparty" and their auditors had "signed off on the donation after a specific inquiry during the audit".
According to the gift guidelines and procedures outlined on the official royal website, members of the royal family “should never accept gifts of money, or money equivalent, in connection with an official engagement or duty.
"If not capable of being returned, money should be donated directly to a charity nominated by the Member of The Royal Family," it notes.
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission, a UK government regulator, confirmed that the money was received by The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation, and said they will "review the information to determine whether there is any role for the Commission in this matter.”
The Charity Commission provides guidance for trustees to question any “suspicious characteristics” of the donation and see whether there is any public concern about the donor or their activities.
Prince Charles has long been accused of using his charity’s bank account for his own personal finances and the damning report added to the speculation of a “cash-for-access culture” around the Prince.
He is already under investigation by the British police over accusations that his charity foundation offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure citizenship in return for donations.
After the latest series of scandals for the British officials, including the PM, a new scandal for the royal family is the last thing the UK seeks.
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