A Member of the Scottish Parliament, Sandra White has rounded on the BBC and Lloyds Banking Group accusing them of bias in their treatment of the Charity Interpal.

As a result of a Panorama investigation and Israeli government allegations that Interpal, which states that it a non-political charity providing aid to Palestinians, held links with terrorist organisations The Charity Commission launched an investigation into Interpal's activities.

The Charity Commission today reported that Interpal was in no way involved with terrorist organisations and that claims made against it were entirely unsubstantiated.

However, earlier in December 2008 the then Lloyds TSB wrote to the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB) notifying them to cease all dealings with the British Charity, Lloyds is further accused of threatening to suspend payment to all of the IBB's customers.

In response to a letter at the time from Ms White Lloyds TSB were keen to stress that they do not 'direct other institutions on how to deal with their customers'. Although in apparent contradiction went on to state that 'we sometimes need to ask our customers to change the way they use our services in order to seek to comply with the requirements of all the countries in which we operate'

Lloyds also claim to have discussed this position with Her Majesty's Treasury, implying that HM treasury agrees with the stance of Lloyds to 'ask' ask the IBB to cease dealings with Interpal.

Responding to the Charity Commission's report Ms White said: "The web of deceit and collusion needs to be fully explored and hard questions need to be asked, namely did HM treasury know and agree with Lloyd's decision to threaten the Islamic Bank of Britain and were Lloyds acting within the law when 'asking' IBB to cease its operations with Interpal"

"I would also hope that the BBC will investigate, how they managed to allow a highly respected programme such as 'Panorama to be brought into disrepute and I have written to the BBC asking them to conduct an inquiry.

"For many people this will, unfortunately, only serve to reinforce their view of the BBC as an organisation with a set political agenda especially after their recent indefensible decision not to air the DEC's Gaza Crisis appeal

"These organisations will have to ask themselves whether there actions imply a level of complicity with the crisis in Gaza and I would urge them to clarify these matters as a matter of urgency"

Note:

S3M-3574 Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): Lloyds Banking Group Blocks Aid to Gaza
That the Parliament condemns Lloyds Banking Group for its refusal to clear donations made into Interpal, a non-political and non-profit-making British charity that works with international funding partners and partners on the ground to provide relief and development aid to Palestinians in need; notes that allegations of links with terrorist organisations made by the BBC’s Panorama programme and the Israeli Government have been rejected by the Charity Commission’s investigation; believes that this further calls into question the impartiality of the BBC and its reasoning behind its refusal to air the Gaza Crisis appeal despite overwhelming public support for this appeal to be aired, and calls on Lloyds Banking Group to reverse its decision, explain under what advise it took such a decision and for the BBC to conduct an inquiry into how its flagship public affairs programme was hijacked in this way.