THE CHARITY Commissioners, and Essex Fraud Squad yesterday began an investigation into an anti gun charity set up after the, Dunblane massacre.
Bank accounts of the Society Against Guns in Europe were frozen at lunchtime yesterday after the charity's American born founder disappeared and the chairman called in police.
The role of founder Dr Tobias Bernstein (35), also known as Bill Bernson, was in the spotlight after it emerged he was a convicted fraudster recently freed from prison after being sentenced to two years.
SAGE received backing from parents of the Dunblane victims and photographs of five year old victim Emma Crozier featured in a recent campaign launched by the group to promote tighter controls on guns.
The group's chairman, Mr Flip Pearce, insisted last night that as far as he is concerned the charity was legal.
The Charity Commission said it was freezing the bank account as a "precautionary" measure and was taking "urgent steps" to conduct a thorough investigation into the charity's affairs.
Documents in the charity's office show that while still in prison in February, Dr Bernstein was negotiating to open an offshore account on the Isle of Man through a company known as International Company Services Ltd of St John's, Isle of Man.
The Shadow Scottish Secretary, Mr George Robertson - who lives in Dunblane - said he was "sickened" by the disclosures and, called for urgent moves to block charity loopholes.
Three separate funds were set up following the Dunblane massacre in March.
They are the Dunblane Fund, a discretionary fund administered by five trustees which was set up with the main objective of helping those directly affected by the massacre and, secondly, the wider Dunblane community.
It has so far raised more than £4 million and has made undisclosed interim payments to the families of the dead and injured.
The Stirling Observer Dunblane, Helpfund, a registered charity set up by the local newspaper for families of the dead and injured who have received interim payments - and for the community.
The Dunblane Primary School PTA/School Board Fund has raised around £1 million.