Following a Sunday Age investigation into the finances of the Shane Warne Foundation, it has been revealed that the group attempted to have records of its activities declared confidential to avoid scrutiny.
Warne’s foundation has faced damning allegations as a result of the recent investigation, including the accusation that just 16c of every dollar raised went to charities for sick and underprivileged children.
The Age claim that the rest of the money raised went towards celebrity events like poker games and gala dinners, and that the foundation also spent $210,000 employing Warne’s brother Jason in an executive role.
In addition to this, the foundation’s current headquarters are in a Brighton building owned by Warne’s parents, who receive an undisclosed amount of rent from the charity.
To make matters even worse, it has since been revealed that the group went to the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission in an attempt to have its records sealed.
Under normal circumstances, the Commission has the power to make a charity’s records confidential if the information within could endanger public safety, or compromise the privacy of individuals.
Information relating to celebrity charities is generally available on the ACNC register, and it is most commonly family violence organisations whose records are kept confidential, for safety reasons.
Once an application is made to the ACNC, a charity’s information is automatically kept confidential until the Commission decides whether it should stay that way.
Presumably realising that their attempt to exploit this loophole would make a bad situation even worse, Warne’s foundation have withdrawn their application for their records to be sealed. A representative of the Commission told The Age:
“The Shane Warne Foundation asked that their withholding application be withdrawn in the interests of transparency.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Consumer Affairs Victoria were aware of “inconsistencies” in the foundation’s accounting practices. They stopped short of calling their interest an “investigation”, but said:
“Consumer Affairs Victoria is concerned about a number of inconsistencies in The Shane Warne Foundation’s reporting and accounting practices and is looking into this matter. The Shane Warne Foundation has advised it has had a number of staffing changes and has sought a meeting with Consumer Affairs Victoria to seek further information concerning their fundraising and record keeping obligations.”
A source close to the board told The Age that the Shane Warne Foundation will undergo an “absolute forensic audit” in the near future.
via The Age
Photo: Martin Hunter via Getty Images
Photo: Martin Hunter via Getty Images
