The Barrowman Foundation’s accounts could remain unpublished.
A charity run by the husband of a Scottish Tory peer has been shut down and its account will remain a mystery.
The Barrowman Foundation, run by Baroness Michelle Mone's husband Doug Barrowman, is to be dissolved and remains late with its accounts for last year.
The Sunday Mail has reported that the Foundation is being dissolved days after watchdogs found faults in its operations after a 14-month inquiry.
The newspaper reported earlier this year that the charity had made “undeclared donations” to the think-tank of former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Politicians have now called for the Charity Commission to publish all paperwork connected to the Foundation.
Scottish Liberal Democrats’ justice spokesman, Liam McArthur MSP, told the Sunday Mail: “With probes into the distribution of huge government Covid contracts still ongoing, it’s important that all information about the complex web of financial arrangements that links the Barrowman Foundation, its founders and their businesses, is preserved until it’s clear that it’s no longer needed.
“One step that could boost transparency is for the Barrowman Foundation’s most recent accounts and the regulatory findings of the Charity Commission to be made public.”
The UK charity watchdog launched its investigation in August 2022 to deal with “concerns” about the Foundation’s operations, with the fund recently issued with “advice and guidance”.
Last week, trustees lodged an application for the charity to be dissolved despite accounts being overdue.
A Charity Commission spokesman told the Sunday Mail: “At the conclusion of our compliance case, we provided the trustees with advice and guidance, [which] is not publicly available.
“We have now received notification of the trustees’ intention to dissolve the charity and are currently engaging with them to ensure this is completed in line with their duties, including any financial reporting requirements.
“Once a charity is removed from the register its accounts are unavailable to view.”
