Manchester Arena attack: Mosque criticised in inquiry faces probe

Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell

The charity watchdog has opened a probe into a mosque that was criticised by the Manchester Arena bomb inquiry.

Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester had been attended by the suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his family.

The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017 which killed 22 people said the mosque's evidence had downplayed its link to the Abedis.

The chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Saunders, said the mosque had suffered from "weak leadership".

Last week, after his final report into the bombing was published, Sir John said: "The Charity Commission has already prescribed a programme that the Didsbury Mosque must put in place.

"I hope that they will read my report and consider whether anything more needs to be done."

The Charity Commission has now responded.

A spokeswoman said it was "actively considering the findings" of the inquiry report and had opened a "regulatory compliance case" to assess concerns raised about the mosque.

Didsbury Mosque declined to comment and said it would issue a public statement at a later date.

'Supported fighting'

The inquiry's report said mosque chairman Fawzi Haffar, who appeared as a witness, was "unreliable and, at some points, his evidence lacked credibility".

Sir John concluded the Abedi family had a long relationship with the mosque, whose leadership should have investigated such matters "more thoroughly and provided a more complete and accurate account of the Abedis' connection".

The report found that mosques attended by the bomber were not an active factor in his radicalisation.

But Sir John also said that meetings took place at Didsbury mosque connected to political situation in Libya, contrary to evidence from Mr Haffar, and that some of those present "supported the fighting".

He concluded that, in the years leading up to the attack, the leadership of the mosque did not pay sufficient attention to what went on and did not "prevent the politicisation of its premises".

Following publication of the report, Mr Haffar said he disagreed with some of the inquiry's conclusions.

'Very serious issues'

Last week, a BBC investigation revealed how two young Didsbury attendees died in conflict abroad and were lionised online as martyrs, including by prominent people in the mosque.

The Charity Commission also said that, in previous years, it met with Didsbury's trustees and sought to address regulatory concerns by issuing an action plan, which had been complied with.

Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon solicitors, who represents some of the bereaved families, welcomed the announcement of a regulatory compliance case.

"It is imperative that the commission consider carefully the very serious issues raised in Sir John's report, including around governance of Didsbury Mosque," he said.

"In our view, given Sir John's conclusions about the current chair of trustees at the mosque, it would be wholly inappropriate for that individual to remain as a trustee of the mosque, let alone as chair.

"We trust that this issue will be considered by the commission along with other matters".