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Drogba Foundation cleared of any wrongdoing by Charity Commission

Eric Bolte / USA TODAY Sports

The U.K. Charity Commission published its findings regarding the flowing of funds by the Didier Drogba Foundation, stating it had "found no evidence of fraud or corruption on behalf of the charity."

The Charity Commission opened a seven-month investigation in April after the Daily Mail claimed that less than one percent of donations raised by the foundation had been given to "good causes."

Following the investigation, the Charity Commission says the discrepancy in fund allocations was due to a similarly-named charity "La Fondation Didier Drogba" operating in the Ivory Coast, and while it outlined a number of minor operational issues in its report, the most pressing issues about the U.K. based Drogba Foundation have been satisfied.

Drogba took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the situation.

"I am pleased that this (report) supports what we always said from the start, that the claims made by the Daily Mail back in April were entirely false," he wrote.

Drogba added: "I have instructed my lawyers to seek a full apology and damages to be paid to my Foundation from the Daily Mail."

The Charity Commission offered that it has "issued the charity with an action plan to ensure that the outstanding concerns, particularly with regard to transparency to donors and the public, are addressed by the charity's trustees."

It also advised the Drogba Foundation to appoint new trustees as the current two of the required three "owe a duty of loyalty to the founder because they have a professional relationship with him, which could prevent them from making a decision only in the best interests of the charity."

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