[Report] Prince Charles Receives "Unusual" Millions of Donations in Suitcase From Qatar Prime Minister

After one of Prince Charles' charities got suitcases of cash worth millions from a Qatari sheik, the Charity Commission is debating whether it should get involved in the investigation.

It has been revealed that the previous leader of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani, gave the Prince of Wales' Charitable Fund (PWCF) $3.07 million. Three gifts totaling about $1,103,000 each were placed in carrier bags and a holdall. The donations were made in 500 euro notes.

Donations to Prince Charles' Charity Are "Very Unusual"

Such large monetary contributions are "very unusual," though not prohibited, according to a source from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs yesterday. Although it is lawful to give and receive large sums of cash, concerns regarding large ready-money transactions have emerged recently, Daily Mail reported.

They can be used to assist in laundering illicit earnings and may confer significant advantages on tax evaders. Although "the optics are unhelpful," a supporter of Prince Charles acknowledged that no regulations were breached and that the uniquely packed gifts were likely accepted to avoid offending the Sheik.

However, it is known that the Sheikh also made gifts by bank draft, thus, there may be a dispute over the specifics of the payments' quantities and methods. Per BBC, the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund, which provides grants for environmental, educational, and social inclusion programs, received the contribution.

Prince Charles Charity Receives Yearly Donations From Qatar PM

Although Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim's donations were purported to have been made between 2011 and 2015, more current financial records from the Charity Commission, from 2017 to 2021, reveal that the charity received between $12.26 million and $18.38 million annually.

According to charity standards, cash donations are accepted, and contributors may choose to remain anonymous. But to ensure the money came from a reliable source, organizations must exercise due diligence.

The PWCF has reportedly received donations, according to a Charity Commission representative. Brandon Lewis, a fellow cabinet minister, claimed on Sunday that it was "fine" for Prince Charles to have taken a suitcase full of cash from the lawmaker from Qatar, as per The Independent. Because of his contacts with the palace, Lewis expressed his "confidence" that the situation would have been handled appropriately.

The funds were "given promptly to one of the prince's charities," who carried out the proper governance and informed us that all the right protocols were followed," according to Clarence House. In their first conversation since Prince Charles allegedly called his asylum deportation policy "appalling," Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated last week that he and the prince had a "nice old chinwag" in Rwanda.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales' former valet, Michael Fawcett, left The Prince's Foundation in November last year to pursue other opportunities. The 59-year-old worked as Prince Charles' close assistant for around 40 years.

There have been allegations that he assisted Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a rich Saudi financier, in obtaining an honorary CBE and British citizenship in 2016. However, Clarence House said that at the time, Prince Charles was unaware of the circumstance, and Mahfouz denied any misconduct.

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