– Incorrect and unfounded – VG

Since 2017, the Born Free Foundation has put social control and the culture of honor among minority youth on the agenda.

On September 21, the bomb exploded: the Directorate for Integration and Diversity (IMDi) withheld state aid for the second half of 2020.

– Extensive investigations of the foundation’s finances show clear and systematic violations of the preconditions for grants, explained IMDi director Libe Rieber-Mohn.

Shabana Rehman (44) tells VG that the foundation expects fair treatment of the complaint:

– It is sensational if the Ministry of Education does not see how unfair this process has been. The foundation cannot continue to exist unless the complaint is taken seriously.

Rehman believes the core of the complaint is bigger than Born Free, IMDi and the ministry.

– This case is about whether the rule of law works, says the leader of the foundation.

According to the government and an EY audit report, the foundation must have used part of the state support for purposes other than those for which it received support and lacks good financial management.

Shabana Rehman has denied all allegations and is trusted by the foundation’s board.

Following a further review of the accounting documentation, IMDi maintained on November 2 that Født Fri had poor financial management and that the allocated funds were not due.

– There is no real basis for such a conclusion, writes foundation lawyer Harald F. Strandenæs in his complaint about the decision to the Ministry of Education.

It writes that IMDi’s decision is incorrect, based on incorrect fact, was originally totally unfounded, and suffers from serious procedural errors.

– Not flawless

– No accounting or financial management is free of errors. Nor with Born Free. The discrepancies that have been found, however, are only “beauty flaws,” writes attorney Strandenæs.

List keywords such as a missing travel invoice form and that the board’s control of the general manager’s small purchases has been done to some extent overdue.

The lawyer believes that the decision to retain public support is not proportional to the “beauty mistakes” made in financial management.

– In a small foundation, it goes without saying that the same comprehensive rules for financial management cannot be expected to be prepared as, for example, the state personnel manual for state employees, the foundation’s attorney writes in the complaint.

– Should be better guided

Strandenæs believes that IMDi, rather than withholding the funds provided by the Storting, should guide Født Fri on the requirements that IMDi imposed for financial management.

– Funds are not diverted. They are certainly used to further the purpose of the foundation, writes the lawyer.

He points out that the lack of state support will have serious consequences for Født Fri:

– The important social mission of the foundation ends. Foundation employees do not receive a salary and lose their profession, committed taxpayers lose a point of contact, an important voice in society is gagged, writes attorney Harald F. Strandenæs.

– Large human costs

Rehman says that the foundation will disappear and work will stop, if Født Fri is not maintained quickly and state support is paid for the second term 2020.

– If the Ministry of Education and Research does not take the complaint seriously, I will consider filing a complaint with IMDi with the civil ombudsman. The process has had great human costs.

IMDi Director Libe Rieber-Mohn has pointed out that there is a lot of competition for resources in the field of volunteering.

– It is therefore important that the supported organizations use community funds in line with the purpose and have good financial management. When an organization that has received 14 million from the state budget does not follow the guidelines, it must have consequences.