Five years have passed since Kids Company closed down and only today will Alan Yentob, the ex-BBC executive and the extraordinary Camilla Batmanghelidjh – who spent some £50 million of taxpayers money unaccountably and in an uncontrolled manner – face justice. Cash was given to kids who spent it as kids are wont to do.
Inquiries have previously found the charity gave brown envelopes stuffed with cash to troubled children as a matter of course, splurges included £50,000 allegedly spent on taxis at the charity’s Christmas party, and Batmanghelidjh had the use of a driver. Twelve-year-olds were given £150 trainers, while others were flown first class to America. One of the kids helped by the organisation told how she and her friends would splash the spending money they were given on cannabis.
Telling BBC Radio 4’s The Report: “We would queue up and sign our names down and get an envelope with £30 and an Oyster travelcard. Then we would go to the shop and buy whatever we wanted with that money. It was weed heaven on a Friday, you could smell it coming down from the landings.” Batmanghelidjh shamed David Cameron into giving her another £3 million days before the charity’s financial collapse…
This insolvency hearing could uncover criminal fraud or result in the the official receiver banning the eight defendants facing trial from being company directors. Arrogant Yentob still works for the BBC…
The revelations keep on coming with regards to the disgraced charity Kid’s Company. Civil Society has been having a nose through some of the evidence submitted to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s Inquiry, and have unearthed some rather remarkable allegations. One former employee stated that staff would join young people the charity was treating for luxury spa days, even bringing their love interests along. They then went on to recount how a man in his mid 20s had a first class fight to New York bought for him. Finally in possibly the most bizarre submission, the former employee recalls how they were asked out-of-the-blue to go on a free trip to the Balearic party island of Ibiza with a young woman receiving treatment from the charity. Astonishing allegations:
- Clients were sent on holidays: I was asked if I would accompany an extremely troubled young woman (who I only knew by reputation) to Ibiza, as another key worker had pulled out.
- A keyworker took a client to a spa (possibly Champneys in Tring) for 2 or 3 days of pampering. The key worker’s boyfriend joined them for the night of 14th February so that he could spend Valentine’s Eve with his partner.
- A client in his mid-20s was sent to New York First Class in order to see his girlfriend. This same client has allegedly been sent to the USA for several months all expenses paid – to keep him “out of the way” while investigations take place.
First class flights, spa trips to Champneys, and Ibiza rave sessions. Had Guido known he would have knocked on Kids Company’s door far sooner…
Bernard Jenkin tells Camilla Batmanghelidjh at the Public Administration Committee:
“Please stop talking.”
