"Vicar of Baghdad" Canon Andrew White Suspended From Own Charity After Allegedly Buying Back Sex Slaves from ISIS

Leah Marieann Klett : Jul 1, 2016
The Gospel Herald

“The alleged incident stemmed from a genuine desire by Canon White to help others." — Trustees of the charity

(Iraq) — [The Gospel Herald] Canon Andrew White, also known as the "Vicar of Baghdad," has been suspended from his own charity over payments made to free sex slaves captured by the Islamic State terror group. (Photo Credit: The Gospel Herald)

According to The Times, White was suspended from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East after the Charity Commission started an investigation into the charity on June 9.

In a Facebook post, the 52-year-old clergyman, who is currently in Amman, Jordan, revealed that he had been suspended in relation to "some inaccurate statements I made about our work with and funding for the former slave girls taken by ISIS".

Addressing some allegations, he added: "What is clear is that at no time did we pay money to any terrorists."

While the charity's trustees have refused to comment on an "active investigation," they did say they believe that the "alleged incident stemmed from a genuine desire by Canon White to help others." The Telegraph quoted a spokesperson of the Charity Commissioner saying: "In response to a statement published on the website of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, The Charity Commission can confirm that it opened a statutory inquiry... on 9 June 2016. The commission cannot comment further on this live investigation at this time."

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