MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Prince of Wales foundation under corruption probe

It is the Foundation who is under investigation and not Prince Charles himself

One day after the scandal involving the Duke of York in New York was settled, the name of the Prince of Wales has been dragged into a new police investigation regarding irregularities in the granting of honorary titles to a Saudi national in exchange for donations to charities.

Scotland Yard detectives were looking into allegations relating to Michael Fawcett, the former chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation, who stepped down amid claims he promised to help secure a CBE and British citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz – a donor to the charity. The inquiry is being led by the Met’s Special Enquiry Team, the same unit in charge of the so-called Partygate probe.

“The special investigation team has carried out the assessment process which has included contact with those believed to have relevant information... The assessment has determined that an investigation will be launched,” the London Metropolitan Police said.

An independent investigation into the fundraising carried out by auditing firm Ernst & Young has already determined Fawcett had indeed made arrangements in that regard.

At the same time, sources agree the Prince of Wales himself had no knowledge of these acts and that it is the Foundation and not His Royal Highness himself who is under investigation.

Mahfouz, 51, was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles in a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November 2016, an event that was not published in the official list of royal engagements, according to The Sunday Times. Receiving this distinction served to support the Saudi's application for British citizenship, according to the newspaper.

Fawcett told Mahfouz in a written letter now in possession of the authorities that the Prince’s Foundation would be “happy and willing” to use its influence to help him, which would be consistent with Scotland Yard's explanation in a statement that the decision to move forward with the investigation “is a consequence of the analysis of a letter...”

The Sunday Times had reported in September that the Saudi businessman had received an award after paying thousands of pounds, which resulted in Fawcett's resignation.