Questions Galloway failed to ask

Published on Friday 8 June 2007 01:49

THE Charities Commission has criticisised the trustees of the so-called Miriam Appeal, including George Galloway, MP.

The appeal was founded in 1998 to provide medical aid to Iraq during the period of UN sanctions. The commission finds that the trustees were "not sufficiently vigilant and did not properly discharge their legal duties" in regard to examining the origins of cash donated to the appeal. The money came in large part from the notorious oil-for-food programme, used by Saddam Hussein to bust sanctions and buy luxuries for his inner circle.

Mr Galloway has always maintained he did not benefit personally from the money channelled into the Miriam Appeal from Iraq. The Charities Commission finds the cash was spent on medical activities. Yet it is clear from the commission's report that Mr Galloway failed in his duty to ask probing questions regarding where the money was coming from. Why was he so remiss?

Perhaps the explanation is connected with a comment Mr Galloway made on the BBC Newsnight programme on 23 April, 2003 -

JEREMY PAXMAN: It's your charity.

GEORGE GALLOWAY: ...First of all, it isn't a charity. It's a political campaign and always has been.

Quite.