LONDON (AP) — Britain’s charity regulator has opened an investigation into an African charity co-founded by , a week after the prince and the organization’s board of trustees resigned amid a dispute with the charity’s chairwoman.
Sentebale, which provides support for young people in Botswana and Lesotho, has been wracked by turmoil since Harry and his co-founder abruptly resigned March 26, saying the relationship between the board and its chair was beyond repair. Chair Sophie Chandauka later accused the prince of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment to try to force her out.
The Charity Commission said Thursday that it was in “direct contact” with parties on both sides to gather evidence in its compliance case.
“The regulator’s focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity’s current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law,” the commission said in a statement.
Chandauka criticized Harry in an interview with Sky News on Sunday, saying that filming for the prince’s latest Netflix program interfered with a scheduled fundraiser for Sentebale and an incident with his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction.
Harry , which means “forget me not” in the language of Lesotho, nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
He said he hoped the Charity Commission would uncover “the truth” about what caused him to resign as patron of Sentebale.
“What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal,” he said in a statement. “No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.”
±á˛ą°ů°ů˛â’s came as Chandauka made allegations of bullying, harassment, sexism and racism against unnamed board members.
Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho were patrons of Sentebale but weren’t on the board of trustees. They said they decided to relinquish their roles as ambassadors for the charity to support the former trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.
Chandauka, a corporate lawyer and businesswoman from Zimbabwe, welcomed the commission’s actions and said she had reported various governance and administration issues to the agency in February. She also said Sentebale initiated its own internal review last year.
“We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new Board of Trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive," she said in a statement.
Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
