Charities watchdog has 'serious concerns' about Didier Drogba Foundation

The Charity Commission, responsible for registering and regulating charities in England and Wales, is worried about how the money is flowing at the Didier Drogba Foundation.

On Thursday, David Holdsworth, the Charity Commission's chief operating officer, admitted that the charities watchdog had "serious regulatory concerns" about Didier Drogba's charity, which operates out of the United Kingdom and is under the spotlight after the Daily Mail claimed that less than one percent of the funds raised by the foundation have been donated to "good causes."

As a result, the Ivorian forward is issuing legal proceedings against the Daily Mail for publishing information that, he claims, is "factually incorrect and libelous."

Related: Didier Drogba taking legal action against Daily Mail over 'irresponsible' charity report

"The commission has serious regulatory concerns about a number of compliance issues raised and have contacted the charity to seek an urgent response," Holdsworth said, according to Jamie Grierson of the Guardian.

"In particular, the commission has concerns about the administration of the charity and the oversight provided by trustees, all of whom appear to live abroad, as well as allegations that the charity has provided misleading information to donors and the public.

"Further, the charity has raised and accumulated significant sums of money that have not yet been spent and further information is required over the plans to spend those funds. All these issues merit further investigation by the commission."

Specifically, the Daily Mail alleges that only £14,115 of the £1.7 million raised by the Didier Drogba Foundation over the last five years has made its way to "good causes," while £439,321 was spent on fundraising parties.