WF Press Release - Court Case Ruling - The World Federation of KSIMC

In a judgement delivered today (Wed 31^st Jan 2024), a Judge of the English High Court has dismissed Dr Mohamed Jaffer’s long-running legal claim against the World Federation of KSIMC (‘TWF’).

In his claim, Dr Jaffer (‘Claimant’) asked the Court to decide that the 2020 Presidential election was conducted in breach of the WF’s Constitution and the SOP, and to appoint a receiver to conduct the 2024 Presidential election and to investigate the WF’s financial affairs.

The claimant alleged that Alhaj Safder Jaffer was ineligible to stand for election, and that the election had been so poorly run that it should be held to be invalid.

The Judge rejected these claims. She decided that Alhaj Safder Jaffer had been eligible to stand. She also reached a “very firm conclusion” that the Electoral Commission conducted the 2020 Presidential “impressively well and with conspicuous fairness”. She said the Electoral Commission acted with a high degree of competence, practicality, and respect for both the rules and the importance of enabling voters to vote as far as possible.

The Judge went on to say that she had seen nothing to doubt the current Electoral Commission’s ability to run the 2024 Presidential Election. As a result, she dismissed Dr Jaffer’s claim that the court should appoint a receiver to conduct the 2024 election.

The Claimant had raised concerns about how large donations to the WF had been handled in recent years.

The Judge concluded that the donations came from a genuine donor who was justified in wishing to remain anonymous. She decided that they had been properly applied to support genuine charitable activities. She held that there was “no evidence whatsoever” that the receipt and use of these donations was money-laundering, as the Claimant had suggested. She also emphasised that she had seen “no evidence whatsoever” that any current or former Office Bearer had misappropriated the funds given by the donor, as the claimant had also suggested.

As a result, she dismissed Dr Jaffer’s claim that the court should appoint a receiver to investigate the WF’s finances.

The Office Bearers welcome the Court’s detailed judgment. They consider that it fully vindicates their conduct of the affairs of the WF, and that it enables the WF to draw a line under all the complaints and to move forward free of the distractions the claim has caused.

“I am sincerely grateful to Allah (SWT) that the UK courts have vindicated the institution we all love from the allegations made against it. I have always believed that the WF’s profound work has been achieved with divine blessings and the duas of Imam Zamana (AJ). The WF has over many decades won the hearts and minds of the most vulnerable in society whose duas have manifested into blessing for the WF as demonstrated in today’s judgement.

The court verdict not only vindicates the WF from the allegations, but goes further to demonstrate how diligent and transparent this organisation is, and how solid its governance has been over the years. There is always room for improvement, and the journey towards further robustness will Inshallah continue.

I am also very grateful to the entire team of office bearers and the secretariat who have stood steadfast against the allegations over the past three years; to the community leadership across the regions and jamaats, to the WF councillors, and most especially to the volunteers, grassroot community members and our donors who kept their belief in the WF to continue their good work.

I pray to Allah (SWT) and humbly request the community that we put all this behind us, unite in our ranks and start afresh with positive thoughts, avoid suspicion and negativity, adopt a culture of constructive feedback and work together so that we can reach further heights with increased zeal in serving our communities and beyond for the sake of Allah (SWT).”

Alhaj Safder Jaffer
WF President

The President will address the community today both in English and Gujarati at 6pm UK time; 9pm East Africa Time; 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time; 11pm Pakistan Standard Time; 11:30pm Indian Standard Time and 5am Sydney Time