I’ll catch Isis killers, claims shamed Diana charity chief
A FORMER chief executive who quit a charity after revelations it was paying his children’s school fees has formed a new venture – hoping to catch war criminals.
Guy Willoughby, who founded and ran the landmine charity the Halo Trust – which attracted the support of Princess Diana and actress Angelina Jolie – is now behind the Association for the Study of War Crimes (ASWC).
The non-profit organisation, registered in Switzerland but hoping to open offices in Edinburgh, wants the public to view terrorist acts such as beheadings online, and help to track down the perpetrators.
Anyone who recognises those carrying out the crimes can contact ASWC and assist them to share information with law enforcement.
Mr Willoughby, who stood down from the Halo Trust in October 2014, claims the ASWC has already produced ‘excellent results’.
At a presentation at Edinburgh’s private New Club last month, he told more than 50 people that he hoped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds every year to fund the ASWC’s work.
In a message sent to attendees, he said: ‘The aim is for us to become the global centre of excellence [in Edinburgh] for using social media to empower the witnesses of war crimes and families of victims to be able to testify safely... hopefully I’ll sign a lease in the next month.’
In a letter to prospective investors, seen by the Scottish Mail on Sunday, he said three senior lawyers with experience of the International Criminal Court at The Hague attended his presentation.
He wrote: ‘On funding, we will continue to avoid any governmental sources, but keep it to private support. If you have any ideas on that, do please let me know.’
Mr Willoughy co-founded the Halo Trust, based in Dumfriesshire, in 1988. The charity became known worldwide in 1997 when Diana, Princess of Wales, visited an Angola minefield that Halo was clearing. When Mr Willoughby left Halo in October 2014, he was given an undisclosed payoff by trustees.
When asked yesterday why people should contact the ASWC about terrorism rather than police, Mr Willoughby offered no comment.
It is not yet clear if he intends to register the ASWC with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
The OSCR said: ‘If an organisation is going to be operating from Scotland they do need to register with us. Fundraising is governed by self-regulation. There are no restrictions on charities from other countries fundraising in Scotland as long as they do not represent themselves as Scottish.’