British watchdog opens investigation into donations tied to Prince Charles' charity

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A British watchdog said Thursday that it has begun an investigation into reports that donations made to Prince Charles' foundation instead ended up at a foundation created by a Saudi billionaire.

The Charity Commission announced the statutory inquiry, which is the agency's most serious type of investigation.

The commission will look into donations made to Prince Charles' foundation that made their way to the charity established by Saudi billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz.

"The commission has been engaging with its trustees since September after media reports alleged that donations, intended for the Prince's Foundation, went instead to the Mahfouz Foundation," the commission said in a statement.

"Some of these funds were then subsequently transferred elsewhere."

The inquiry, which began early this month, will examine whether the donations were intended for the charity and used in accordance with charity laws.

The Mahfouz Foundation was established in 2012 to "promote and advance the education of the public in Britain in the history, language, institutions, and culture of the Middle East."

The new investigation comes after a separate inquiry into Prince Charles' foundation by regulators in Scotland, which began in September.

The Charity Commission has the authority to remove a charity's board members or entirely shut a charity down. The commission typically only begins a statutory investigation after an extensive preliminary investigation by other authorities, The Guardian reported.