Saeed Pourreza
Press TV, London
Prince Charles, Britain’s heir to the throne, is again at the center of the storm for accepting questionable donations to his charitable fund: This time from a family whose name brings back horrifying memories.
Bakr and Shafiq Bin Laden, wealthy construction magnates and half-brothers of the late al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden, reportedly donated 1.7 million dollars to a charitable fund that the Prince is the patron of.
The future king allegedly green-lighted the donation after a private meeting with Bakr Bin-Laden at this palatial building known has Clarence House in 2013 only two years after US Special Forces killed the 9/11 mastermind in the east of Pakistan.
The prince’s office denies any wrongdoing saying the decision to accept the money was made by the Fund’s trustees. But that does not tally with allegations that the royal ignored senior advisors urging him to decline the offer: How does this look for the Prince and Royal Family?
In February, claims of a cash-for-honors scandal involving a Saudi businessman. A police investigation into another of Charles's charitable foundations ensued.
And before that reports that between 2011 to 2015 the prince accepted donations totaling 3.2 million dollars to his charity from a former Qatari prime minister with the cash partially delivered in shopping bags.
Is this a case of them taking the money and hoping no one would find out? What if this were to happen in a country such as Iran or in West Asia. What would the reaction have been?
It remains to be seen if the Prince will be investigated over this latest revelation. And with an upcoming documentary featuring the life of his deceased former wife, Prince Diana, scrutiny of the 73-year old royal will intensify.