LONDON, April 22 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Both charities were set up to provide grants to projects and causes in any part of the world as long as they were exclusively charitable. The charities shared a sole corporate trustee, which was a private limited company known as Kantor Trustees. One of the company's directors, sole member, and the charities' primary funder was Dr Kantor.
Background
InApril 2022,theUK Governmentnamed Dr Kantor as a 'designated person' underthe UK's Russia Sanctions regime.This meant thatit was now a criminal offenceforfunds or economic resources in the UK to be made available toDr Kantor.
In the same month, the Commission opened inquiries into charities connected to Dr Kantor, these were: the Kantor Charitable Foundation (KCF), Kantor Foundation (KF) and the World Holocaust Forum Foundation (WHFF). The regulator froze charity bank accounts and prevented the trustee from parting with any of the charity's property without the Commission's prior consent. In May 2022, the regulator removed Dr Kantor as a trustee of WHFF meaning he was automatically disqualified from being a trustee and ceased to be a director of Kantor Trustees.
Findings
In June 2023, the inquiries concluded that the Kantor Foundation and Kantor Charitable Foundation were no longerviableand that they should be wound up and dissolved. The inquiries reached this view having taken into considerationthat Dr Kantor was the sole donor and it would be unlikely that either charity could secure future funding. Therewerealsono trustees to run the charities following Dr Kantor's designation andsubsequentresignation ofthe otherdirectorsfromthe Kantor Trustees company.
The inquiries alsodeterminedthat reputational damage arising from the designation, meant that it would be unlikely that the charities could resolve these matters through fundraising or recruitment.
The inquiries found that Dr Kantorwas responsible formisconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of both charities for failing to proactively resign following his designation.
Dr Kantor'sfailure to cooperate with the regulator's investigationalso amounted to misconduct and/or mismanagement.
Recovery of funds
In May 2022, the regulator appointedInterim Managers to both charities as there were no longer any trustees running the charity. As part of their work to wind up the charities, theyidentifieda number ofoutstanding Gift Aid claimswereowed. After settling the charities'liabilities, theInterim Managersdistributed the remaining funds via charitable grants toseveralorganisations, in line with the charities' purposes. The total figure distributed to support charitable causes amounts to £1,388,000.00.
The Interim Managers also recovered a violin made by Italian violin maker,Riccardo Antoniazzi, which had been on loan from the Kantor Foundation. The violin - valued by the Foundation in 2019 as being worth £150,810 - has since been gifted to a registered charity. Thetermsof the giftstipulatesthatthe violinmust be used topromote musicaleducation for the public benefit.
The charities have both been wound up and have since been removed from the public Register of Charities.
JoshuaFarbridge, Head of compliance and visits and inspections at the Charity Commission, said:
Oncedesignated, an individual cannot legally act as a trustee.Dr Kantor's failure to step downimmediately, hisdecision to ignorethe Commission and failure to cooperate, amounted to misconduct and/or mismanagement.
It alsofellbelow our expectations of trustees.As a result of our investigations, we have now wound up both charities.
We are pleased some good can come to other charities and causesas a result ofour intervention. Instead of assets lying dormant, or owed Gift Aid lost,we'vebeen able to see a much-needed boost of over £1.3m into the sector, and aculturallysignificant musical instrument gifted to a charity furthering musical education.
Ends
Notes to editors:
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The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust andultimately fulfiltheir essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. More information is available on gov.uk.
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On7April 2022, the Commission opened statutory inquiries into the Kantor Foundation and Kantor Charitable Foundationunder section46 of the Charities Act 2011.
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The full report into the Kantor Foundation and Kantor Charitable Foundation is available on gov.uk.
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The Commission concluded its inquiry into theWorld Holocaust Forum Foundationin December 2023.Thefull reportis on gov.uk.
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More information onthe UK'sRussia Sanctions regime, and what this sets out in law,can be found here:The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
Press office
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