Charity trustees have been disqualified from their roles after unauthorised payments and financial mismanagement.

Kingdom Life Ministries, a Christian church and charity with one based in Tottenham, has had its trustees disqualified after they received unauthorised payments from the charity between June 2013 and November 2018 of a total up to £456,853.

The Charity Commission opened an investigation into the charity after there were repeated failures to file accounts.

The trustees are being held to account for financial mismanagement, governance failings and non-compliance with the commission and are disqualified from serving as a trustee or senior manager of any charity for 10 years.

In the investigation, it was established that three former trustees took the money weekly of £200, £200 and £90, which continued even after regulatory advice instructing an end to these arrangements.

A total of £29,971 was paid in the months following the inspection.

In their defence, the trustees claimed that the other payments related to reimbursement costs but failed to provide evidence of reimbursement to the commission.

Over £70,000 in cash was also withdrawn from the charity’s account over three years.

In June 2018, an Order was issued to restrict the charity’s transactions, but since then the commission noticed significantly less deposits being made into the charity’s bank account. Another Order was then issued so that the former trustees pay all existing charitable funds and future funds into the charity’s bank account.

After twelve days of the second Order, the three trustees resigned.

Amy Spiller, the head of investigations team, said: “We know that late filing of accounts can be an indicator of far more serious concerns within a charity. This inquiry has confirmed that and brought to light some concerning patterns of mismanagement.

“Charity trustees should carry out their duties with probity and care. They should be driven at all times by their charitable mission and purpose, and a desire to make things better for the community they serve.

“This was not the picture painted at Kingdom Life Ministries, and it’s right that those responsible have been held to account for their failings in the running of this charity.

“I hope and expect that the new trustees will be able to drive forward positive change at the charity, for the benefit of its congregation and people it helps.”