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COMEDIANS: Zahid Ali was hired as a text editor, while Shabana Rehman was the producer for Stovnerrevyen. The image is from a commissioner’s recording in 2013. Photo: Helge Mikalsen
Shabana Rehman took comedian Zahid Ali to a spa hotel and to London for inspiration and to write the script for Stovner’s school magazine.
– I contributed with the lyrics and the direction, confirms Zahid Ali (44) about his participation in Stovnerrevyen.
The Born Free Foundation, where Shabana Rehman (44) is the CEO, has received NOK 15 million in public support since 2017 since 2017. The Ministry of Education and Research has decided that the support will not continue in 2021.
An investigation carried out by Ernst & Young revealed deficiencies in Født Fris’ financial management and that parts of the funds have not been used in accordance with the guidelines for state aid.
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– It is almost impossible to give a definitive answer on how the foundation should be managed. It is an uncertain estimate of the costs that can be said to fulfill the purpose, writes lawyer Harald F. Strandenæs in his answer on behalf of Født Fri.
Several alleged irregularities are linked to Stovnerrevyen 2019 and a documentary about this year’s magazine, which according to the foundation’s website arriving in October.
VG is informed that this documentary, based on the work with the school magazine, will address issues of “integration and negative social control”, that is, what is the purpose of Born Free.
The magazine and movie producer was Shabana Rehman, while Zahid Ali was the text editor.
Read about the magazine: Will display Stovner conditions
Zahid Ali will not confirm whether he attended the Son Spa hotel in January 2019, where a writing seminar was held for Stovnerrevyen. But Født Fris’s lawyer, Harald F. Strandenæs, explains in his response to Ernst & Young (EY) that the hotel was chosen for this seminar because of its location, which was favorable to both Rehman and Ali.
“Son Spa – a Nordic Choice Hotels, it is located almost halfway between Zahid Ali and Shabana’s house, so it was said in the interview”, the lawyer writes in explanation that this hotel was chosen.
To VG, the lawyer says:
– I have been informed that this hotel was chosen because it was convenient for both Shabana Rehman and Zahid Ali. But they weren’t going to the spa, something that Ernst & Young has also been told, Strandenæs tells VG.
The EY report states the following about this seminar:
A “writing seminar” held at Son Spa from Friday, January 4, 2019 to Sunday, January 6, 2019. The stay at the hotel is provided by the Born Free Foundation. The invoice (…) with a face value of NOK 14,964 includes a hotel room, a “day package” for two on Sunday 6 January 2019 and a dinner in a restaurant. The trip was completed over a weekend with access to the hotel’s spa facilities (day package). ‘
Shabana Rehman to VG: – This is not true
– I traveled for inspiration
EY believes that the purpose of the Son hotel stay may seem private in nature. In his response, Rehman notes that the intention was to inspire him to write texts and denies that they were at the spa.
– This had nothing to do with the spa, we rented meeting rooms, to work with Stovnerrevyen’s script, the manuscripts are dated and the statements sent. The angle in this is deliberately geared toward making professionally serious work seem like an extravagant luxury. The rest of the EY report is constructed in the same way, Rehman explained to VG.
Zahid Ali also does not want to confirm that he is the “artist” who, according to Ernst & Young, traveled to London with Rehman in November 2019 for a new “writing seminar” in connection with Stovner magazine.
– But the best place in the world to get inspiration for all Norwegian comedians is London. And New York, says Zahid Ali, who has also appeared on various television shows.
According to Rehman, writing for the school magazine and inspiration was also the motivation for the trip to London. During the five days, they had three shows and an A-ha concert.
EY believes that the costs of the two trips, which total around NOK 60,000, exceed what is reasonable as a business-related expense.
Lawyer Harald F. Strandenæs confirms that Zahid Ali participated in the trip to London, but says the trip was an inspiration for Stovnerrevyen:
– It is true that they bought tickets to see the show “Thriller”, but the concert with a-ha was free, and it was not on the program when Shabana Rehman and Zahid Ali planned the trip to London and bought tickets, says the lawyer. VG.
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Report: this is how the Rehman Foundation used the money
– Conflict of interests
Stovnerrevyen is presented as a collaboration between Stovner Upper Secondary School and Født Fri. The documentary about the magazine was to be a Born Free side project, fully funded by others. Rehman was a producer through his private company Wanted Production Norway.
Among other things, this company received NOK 700,000 in support of Scheibler’s grant to hire a proofreading manager, editor, editor, and text editor and to cover other costs of the proofreading.
However, according to EY, the costs were continuously invoiced and paid by Born Free. Recently, most of the support for Scheibler’s grant has been transferred from the WPN to the foundation.
EY believes it can be argued that the project is primarily funded by grants from the Integration and Diversity Directorate (IMDi), as the total review costs of almost NOK 1.6 million over two years have exceeded the funds allocated from abroad .
EY also believes that the foundation’s use of Rehman’s private company carries a conflict of interest and an increased risk of errors and omissions in the accounts, including the risk of fraud.
WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL REVIEW: Zahid Ali and Stovner Upper Secondary School Principal Terje Wold in a photo from June 2018. Photo: Trond Solberg
The school is happy about the cooperation.
The principal of Stovner Upper Secondary School says he has no relevant information about the case.
– I don’t want to comment further that Stovner Upper Secondary School is happy for the collaboration with Født Fri on Stovnerrevyen. We are very proud of what our students accomplished together with Født Fri and the teachers, writes Principal Terje Wold.
Read the discussion post: Accusations of racism against the magazine
Shabana Rehman is also criticized for having acquired goods and services from people close to and associated with her own company. This is what EY points out in their report:
- Born Free is said to have bought catering food for 64,000 kroner from a member of Rehman’s family.
- Born Free is said to have hired two young men from the Rehman family for a summer job on behalf of the foundation. In total, they have received 56,000 crowns of salary.
- Born Free has also hired another family member to do paid work. The fee was NOK 55,000 before VAT.
- Født Fri has acquired accounting services for NOK 760,000 from the same company that since 2009 has been the commercial director of Rehman’s private company, Wanted Production Norway.
EY also believes that acquisitions of headphones, Apple watches, a drone and Apple TV totaling approx. NOK 29,000 and various media subscriptions appear to be private in nature.
ACTIVIST: Shabana Rehman will speak to the Storting in 2018, during a demonstration for the abortion law. Photo: Frode Hansen
– Weakened control opportunity
EY believes that the factual survey provides a basis for asserting that the Born Free Foundation has used funds from the Integration and Diversity Directorate (IMDi) in a different way than assumed.
Investigators believe that financial management has not been satisfactory. Control routines and authorization limits for acquisitions must be lacking.
EY points out that the possibility of control is weakened, as a result of the fact that credit cards are used to purchase goods and services and the foundation does not use travel invoices.
– Impossible to give a definitive answer
In his response to the Ernst & Young (EY) report on behalf of Født Fri, lawyer Harald F. Strandenæs calls the foundation unconventional and controversial, “with many enemies”.
It considers that the description of the event is not correct and neutral, but rather deficient and full of serious errors and suggests that the EY staff has been biased.
– The general question is whether public funds for Born Free have primarily served the good cause. The report does not even attempt to answer this. The question of public funds being misled has also not been answered, writes Strandenæs on behalf of the foundation.
Rehman refers to the press release
Shabana Rehman has not responded to VG’s inquiries about the collaboration with Zahid Ali, referring to a press release from the Født Fri council, where this is not an issue. You can read the press release in its entirety below:
The Born Fris board has read the investigation report. Yesterday we sent out a press release in which we clearly stated that we were surprised to find a report that had not been sent to the board.
Today we had a board meeting and we have read the report that has been posted on the IMDi website. And we have many professional objections to the report. Earlier today, we contacted IMDi and requested a meeting, with no response.
What is new is that this afternoon IMDi has informed us in writing that we can respond in writing before 06 October 2020. The board will take advantage of this. We have engaged a lawyer, an accountant and other competent persons to help us clarify the Født Fris side of the case.
Therefore, I will not comment on individual cases until our response is available. So far we are not aware of financial irregularities at Født Fri, and the management has the confidence of the board.
Jan Sverre Asker, Chairman of the Board, Born Free
