The Charity Commission has called for a Camberwell charity to shut after one of their trustees was convicted of fraud for selling an alleged Covid-19 cure during the pandemic.
Bishop Climate Wiseman, head of the Kingdom Church GB, was sentenced last February to one year in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 130 hours of unpaid community work.
During the pandemic, Bishop Climate Wiseman told his followers they could “end up dropping dead” from the virus and urged them to buy his own remedy – consisting of hyssop, cedarwood and olive oil.
Wiseman lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction in November.
The Charity Commission, opened an inquiry into the charity in August 2020. They say they found “significant shortcomings” within its management, administration and operation.
The charity regulator made it clear that other trustees of Kingdom Church GB had not taken part in decision making, despite one of the trustees being his wife.
This allowed “Bishop Climate Wiseman to make unilateral decisions about the charity and its operations”.
The regulator added that the trustees had “exposed the charity’s reputation to undue risk” by allowing it to be linked to Wiseman’s private business interests “which included using the website linked to the charity to sell an oil alleged to protect against Covid in the midst of a worldwide pandemic”.
Helen Earner, director of regulatory services at the Charity Commission, said: “The public rightly expects charities to be places of safety.
“Trustee Bishop Climate Wiseman fell woefully short of that expectation when he scammed vulnerable people at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Charity Commission acted robustly to investigate the charity and its governance, and ultimately concluded that The Kingdom Church GB should be wound up and removed from the charity register.”
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineCamberwell charity ordered to shut after trustee found guilty of fraud
Short HeadlineCamberwell charity told to shut after trustee found guilty of fraud
StandfirstThe head of the charity has been sentenced to one year in jail for selling a bogus Covid-19 cure
The Charity Commission has called for a Camberwell charity to shut after one of their trustees was convicted of fraud for selling an alleged Covid-19 cure during the pandemic.
Bishop Climate Wiseman, head of the Kingdom Church GB, was sentenced last February to one year in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 130 hours of unpaid community work.
During the pandemic, Bishop Climate Wiseman told his followers they could “end up dropping dead” from the virus and urged them to buy his own remedy – consisting of hyssop, cedarwood and olive oil.
Wiseman lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction in November.
The Charity Commission, opened an inquiry into the charity in August 2020. They say they found “significant shortcomings” within its management, administration and operation.
The charity regulator made it clear that other trustees of Kingdom Church GB had not taken part in decision making, despite one of the trustees being his wife.
This allowed “Bishop Climate Wiseman to make unilateral decisions about the charity and its operations”.
The regulator added that the trustees had “exposed the charity’s reputation to undue risk” by allowing it to be linked to Wiseman’s private business interests “which included using the website linked to the charity to sell an oil alleged to protect against Covid in the midst of a worldwide pandemic”.
Helen Earner, director of regulatory services at the Charity Commission, said: “The public rightly expects charities to be places of safety.
“Trustee Bishop Climate Wiseman fell woefully short of that expectation when he scammed vulnerable people at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Charity Commission acted robustly to investigate the charity and its governance, and ultimately concluded that The Kingdom Church GB should be wound up and removed from the charity register.”
