Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has said he will launch legal action against the Daily Mail after it published an article claiming £1.7 million worth of funds donated to his charity had not reached those they were intended for.
The newspaper report on the Didier Drogba Foundation claims only one percent (£14,115) of donations made by high-profile people, royals and business people in the UK over five years had gone to good causes. It also claims £439,321 was spent on fundraising parties while the rest of the funds were “languishing” in bank accounts.
The foundation raises money for the development of a hospital, clinics and educating children in the Ivory Coast, in West Africa. Celebrity backers of the foundation include Princess Beatrice, David Beckham, Bono, Frank Lampard and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
The Mail claims that out of up to five clinics schedule to be built, only one has been set up which has no staff or medical equipment. The foundation is now under investigation by the Charity Commission.
The Commision says it has “serious regulatory concerns about a number of compliance issues raised” and has contacted the charity seeking an urgent response.
David Holdsworth, the chief operating officer at the commission said: “In particular, the commission has concerns about the administration of the charity and the oversight provided by trustees, all of whom appear to live abroad, as well as allegations that the charity has provided misleading information to donors and the public. Further, the charity has raised and accumulated significant sums of money that have not yet been spent and further information is required over the plans to spend those funds. All these issues merit further investigation by the commission.”
In a statement on Instagram, Drogba accused the newspaper of “irresponsible journalism” which he claimed had jeopardised the lives of thousands of African children.
Drogba said all of the foundation’s work since its launch in 2007 was paid for entirely by his sponsorship earnings and donations, totalling €3.7m (£295,000).
Projects established by the foundation include a mobile clinic operating in Abidjan, which travels to villages to treat people, a dialysis machine, the Project Against Child Labour scheme, the Heart Schools kits and supporting orphanages.
He said the £1.7m raised by UK fundraising would go towards making the foundation clinic fully operational and paying for medical equipment, staff, medicine and running costs.
www.telegraph.co.uk
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