Naomi Campbell, the British supermodel, has been banned from being a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years.
In a statement by the UK Charity Commission, Fashion for Relief, Campbell’s charity, was said to have been “poorly governed and managed financially” by the trustees.
The inquiry which was conducted between April 2016 and July 2022 found that only 8.5% of the funds raised were spent on charitable grants.
It added that part of the charity funds was also used to pay Campbell’s stay at luxurious hotels, spa treatment as well as her cigarettes.
Reacting to the inquiry in an interview with AP, Campbell said she was unaware of the expenses because she “was not in control of my charity”.
“I have just found out today about the findings, and I am extremely concerned,” she said.
“I was not in control of my charity, I put the control in the hands of a legal employer.”
Asides from Campbell, Veronica Chou and Bianca Hellmich are among trustees sanctioned.
Hellmich was banned for nine years for receiving $385,000 of unauthorized funds for consultancy services. Chou was banned for four years.
Commenting on the ban, Tim Hopkins, who was part of the investigation, said Campbell and the other trustees failed in their legal duties.
“Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities,” he said.
“Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them”.
About £344,000 has also been recovered and a further £98,000 of charitable funds have been protected.
The funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.
Campbell founded Fashion For Relief in 2005 with the aim of relieving poverty.(The Cable)
