Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin have been disqualified from being charity trustees by the Charity Commission, the family said in a statement.
It comes ahead of the conclusion of a statutory investigation by the watchdog into The Captain Tom Foundation, started just over two years ago .
The commission inquiry was launched over concerns about its management and independence from Sir Tom’s family.
The pair became trustees of the charity - set up to continue raising cash for good causes in the Second World War veteran’s name - in February 2021.
In March 2021, Ms Ingram-Moore stepped down to become its interim CEO; a role she held until April 2022, while Mr Ingram-Moore stayed on, according to latest accounts submitted to the Charity Commission.
But concerns grew over money earned by two companies controlled by the Ingram-Moores, called Club Nook Limited and Maytrix Group Limited, through the alleged use of Captain Tom’s name.
The Charity Commission has confirmed Ms Ingram-Moore and Mr Ingram-Moore had been disqualified from being a charity trusteefor a period of 10 and eight years respectively due to misconduct or mismanagement.
In a statement issued by the family on Wednesday afternoon, the family said they disagreed with the move to disqualify them as charity trustees, adding they feared they were victims of a “relentless pursuit” by the watchdog.
And they said the length of time for the investigation to complete had been “harrowing and debilitating”.
They said: “The disqualification has been imposed without the conclusion of the statutory inquiry into The Captain Tom Foundation.
“The commission’s failure to conclude the inquiry prolongs our deep distress and hinders our ability to move on with our lives, extending the pain and impact on our family and our father / grandfathers’ legacy. It has been a harrowing and debilitating ordeal that has gone on for over two years.
“We are increasingly concerned that the Charity Commission’s process may have evolved into a relentless pursuit, and question whether it is a tactic by the Commission to make our lives more difficult, by suspending us in constant fear and mental anguish.”
The couple had until 24 June to appeal against the decision to disqualify them, but have made the “extremely difficult decision” not to appeal.
They said: “The orders of disqualification do not state that Hannah Ingram-Moore or Colin Ingram-Moore have misappropriated or received unauthorised payments from the charity’s funds, including public donations. We have never accessed or made any payments from the charity’s bank account.
“Independent Trustees have maintained full control over the charity’s finances since inception.
“Despite our vehement objections to the disqualification order, we have made the extremely difficult decision not to pursue an appeal. The profound emotional upheaval and financial burden make such a course of action untenable.”
Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said: “As a fair, independent and evidence-led regulator we only disqualify someone from serving as a trustee or a senior manager in a charity when the evidence gathered means it is proportionate and lawful to do so.
“The evidence in this investigation meant that the level of misconduct and/or mismanagement was serious enough to warrant this action. People generously support good causes with the clear expectation that trustees will act in the best interests of their charities.
“As an independent regulator, it is vital that we uphold and protect this trust, including by taking robust regulatory action where appropriate, based on firm evidence.”
The Captain Tom Foundation was registered in 2020 in the month after the Burma and India veteran raised £39.3m for the NHS when a mission to walk 100 lengths of his garden gained worldwide exposure. That money raised is not part of the Charity Commission’s probe.
In 2021, he died after contracting Covid while in hospital being treated for pneumonia.
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