23 April 2025

The East London Mosque Trust (ELMT) has a long history of Shariah-compliant investments to support its charitable activities, with surplus income from these investments being reinvested to ensure continuous income generation. Over the years, these investments have brought in more than £6.5 million which has been instrumental in supporting the Mosque’s building developments and community services. These investments are entirely separate to the generous donations from the community that have also been pivotal in delivering the Mosque’s expansion and regular activities.
 
The recent Charity Commission letter is in reference to an investment made by ELMT in early 2022. ELMT made an investment, in the same way as some other large companies and individuals, into a company that later went into liquidation. Despite conducting due diligence at the time, ELMT and the other investors were the victim of a sophisticated fraud, and that company is the subject of an ongoing Police investigation. 
 
ELMT has already put in place a stricter investment policy and strengthened its governance and processes following an independent review. ELMT is fully committed to implementing any directions or further recommendations from the Charity Commission. Our long-standing commitment to effective stewardship has ensured that there was no interruption to the Mosque’s services or activities. We continue to invest in our community, including delivering the recent major expansion works to the prayer halls.
 
ELMT remains steadfast in its commitment to the communities it serves and strives to deliver above and beyond.