The City of London police are investigating an alleged fraud involving a former Premier League footballer who lost £3.9m from one of Britain’s richest evangelical churches in a disastrous investment scheme.
The criminal investigation follows a Charity Commission report into “mismanagement” at Kingsway International Christian Centre, which invested £5m with the former Charlton Athletic player Richard Rufus. Rufus was found by a civil court judge in 2015 to have operated a Ponzi-style scheme between 2007 and 2011, losing or spending £8m from several investors.
The criminal investigation follows a Charity Commission report into “mismanagement” at Kingsway International Christian Centre, which invested £5m with the former Charlton Athletic player Richard Rufus. Rufus was found by a civil court judge in 2015 to have operated a Ponzi-style scheme between 2007 and 2011, losing or spending £8m from several investors.
