Australian Poker Pro Shane Warne Charity Under Investigation for Misspending
Australian poker pro and one-time spin bowler Shane Warne is currently under investigation for alleged inappropriate spending.
An investigation by the Sunday Age found that the Shane Warne Foundation raked in $1.8 million over a three year period between 2011-2013, and only 16 cents on every dollar was used for charitable purposes.
The paper alleges that Shane’s brother drew an $80,000 personal salary while another $300,000 was used towards catering, alcohol and merchandise at a period in which the charity was posting losses.
The Sunday Age has attempted to gain access to financial reports for the past two years in an effort to discover other possible improprieties.
The Foundation told Pro Bono Australia News that it will be making a public statement this week about claims of accounting and reporting irregularities.
“We have three board members in different countries, and we will not be making a public statement about the investigation until next week,” foundation general manager Emma Coleman said.
The Shane Warne Foundation claims its mission is to "raise funds to help 'enrich the lives of seriously ill and underprivileged children and teenagers in Australia'. We achieve this by supporting a diverse cross section of charities and individual families that work ‘hands on’ within these areas."
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
