LONDON: A regulator on Thursday said it had opened a formal probe into donations received by a Saudi tycoon’s charitable trust which were intended for Prince Charles’ foundation.

The Charities Commission, which registers and oversees charities in England and Wales, said it had been in contact with the Mahfouz Foundation since media reports in September.

Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a prominent donor to the Prince’s Foundation, is alleged to have been promised a royal honour and even UK citizenship by Charles’ former closest aide, Michael Fawcett.

Fawcett resigned as chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation last week.

The inquiry will examine whether “certain donations received by the Mahfouz Foundation were intended for the charity, have been used in accordance with the donors’ intentions and if they should be returned to the donor or otherwise applied for charitable purposes”.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2021