UK head disqualified after £400,000 found in wooden chest at Islamic school

Head teacher and son barred from running charity after police were called to Darul Uloom London School

Darul Uloom, an Islamic boarding school in Chislehurst, south-east London. PA

The head teacher of an independent Islamic school in London and his son have been banned from running a charity after £400,000 ($503,112) in cash was found stashed inside a wooden chest.

Police were called to Darul Uloom London School in May 2018 and charged Yusuf Musa, its head of safeguarding, with threatening two visitors with a fake gun during a row.

Officers searched the boarding school and found the toy weapon and the cash in a padlocked wooden chest. His father, head teacher Mustafa Musa, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

The police investigations against both men were later dropped. But they have been disqualified from holding roles in charities after a separate inquiry by the regulator concluded they were responsible for “serious mismanagement and misconduct” that put the school’s finances at risk.

The money was said to have been from donations and fees for the school – nicknamed the Muslim Eton – where its 145 boys are charged up to £3,500 a year for boarding places.

The Charity Commission said the money was kept in a wooden chest even though the school had a safe. The amount seized was similar to the school’s annual income.

The regulator criticised school officials for failing to pay the cash into a bank even though there had also been an attempted arson at the school and burglaries reported in the area.

The cash – which was used to pay staff and for building works – was seized by police and not returned for two years, said a commission report into the way the school was run.

Tim Hopkins, assistant director of investigations at the Charity Commission, said: “The public rightly expect high standards of governance and integrity from charity trustees.

“Unfortunately, our inquiry has found the former trustees of Darul Uloom School London did not meet those standards.

“Our inquiry has taken robust action to address wrongdoing and harm, including in disqualifying two former trustees.

“I hope that the current trustees learn the lessons from what has happened and ensure that the charity is more securely and effectively managed so it can deliver the best possible services for its beneficiaries.”

The school in Chislehurst, south-east London, educates boys aged 11 to 19. It says it is committed to “the advancement of education and religion in accordance with the tenets and doctrines of Islam”.

School inspectors have rated Darul Uloom as “inadequate” or “requires improvement” in five inspections since 2013, the two lowest ratings on the scale.

But improvements had been noted at the school, which continues to operate, including its financial management. The school has been contacted for comment.