An Oxfam trustee has resigned from the charity's board, alleging governance failures and 'cruel and inhumane' treatment of former chief executive Halima Begum. Dr Balwant Singh said he had 'lost confidence in the board's governance, integrity, transparency and accountability' and called for external regulatory intervention.
Begum left the organisation in December amid concerns about her leadership, with an apparent split among trustees. In his resignation statement, Singh apologised to Begum for the way she was treated, stating: 'We should have been better than this.' He urged the Charity Commission to remove the board and launch an independent investigation.
Oxfam announced on 9 January that it would commission an independent review of its board processes after Begum's departure, following media reports of infighting. Chair Charles Gurassa, who also chairs the Guardian Media Group, stepped down in November. Begum had filed a grievance claim against him before his departure.
The charity said the employment investigation firm Howlett Brown had been appointed to examine concerns about Begum's leadership, leading to the board's unanimous decision that trust and confidence in her had been lost. Oxfam stated the independent review would assess whether the board acted in line with its duties.
Singh condemned the 'brutal' briefing against Begum, noting that findings of the leadership investigation were not shared with her and she was not given a right of reply. A lawyer representing Begum said she had been subjected to 'a victimising witch-hunt'. Oxfam declined further comment, citing the ongoing independent review.
