Suzanne Goodband v The Charity Commission for England and Wales
[2024] UKFTT 111 (GRC)
Vladimir Ioannou v The Charity Commission for England and Wales
22 February 2023
[2023] UKFTT 306 (GRC)
First-tier Tribunal
A charity trustee was accused of mishandling things and keeping money he shouldn't have. A court agreed he did wrong and banned him from being a charity trustee for 5 years.
Key Facts
- •Vladimir Ioannou appealed a Charity Commission order disqualifying him from being a charity trustee for five years under section 181A of the Charities Act 2011.
- •Ioannou was a trustee of Enfield Island Village Trust (EIVT).
- •A dispute arose concerning EIVT's management, leading to the Charity Commission's involvement.
- •Ioannou's company, ICRI Ltd, was appointed as EIVT's managing agent.
- •The Charity Commission found that Ioannou's actions regarding the termination of a contract with Amber Estate Management, misappropriation of charitable funds, and conflicts of interest constituted misconduct and mismanagement.
- •Ioannou disputed the findings, claiming the actions were lawful and there was no misconduct.
Legal Principles
The Charity Commission may disqualify a person from being a charity trustee if certain conditions are met, including that the person is unfit to be a trustee and the order is in the public interest.
Charities Act 2011, section 181A(6)
A disqualification order must be proportionate and for a specified period not exceeding 15 years.
Charities Act 2011, section 181B
The Tribunal must consider the Charity Commission's decision afresh, and can consider evidence available after the Commission's order.
Charities Act 2011, section 319(4)
Outcomes
The appeal was dismissed.
The Tribunal found that Ioannou's actions met the statutory criteria for disqualification. His handling of the Amber Management contract, failure to return charitable funds, and failure to manage conflicts of interest constituted misconduct and mismanagement, making him unfit to be a trustee. A five-year disqualification was deemed proportionate.
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