Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross (BRC), in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said he was "puzzled" by the police investigation into allegations that Jeffrey Archer had mismanaged a £57 million sterling charity fund meant for Iraqi Kurds. The allegations were made by the Liberal Democrat peer, Baroness Nicholson.
Sir Nicholas said the peer never had access to any of the funds raised by the Simple Truth appeal. He said the BRC received £9.2 million in the UK, half of which came from the British government, the rest being donated by individuals. Archer's "extremely energetic efforts in relation to the Kurdish appeal" generated a further £31.5 million in donations from governments around the world lobbied by him, Sir Nicholas added.
He insisted none of the BRC funds went missing and that they could account for all of them.
On the Today programme, Lady Archer dismissed the allegations as hurtful and "entirely without foundation". She said they had caused "real harm" and smeared the reputation of the BRC.
But Lady Nicholson remained resolute, saying many questions remained unanswered and accusing Archer and the BRC of "misleading" the Iraqi Kurds, who claim they did not receive the money.
Lady Archer said her husband had spearheaded the charity, which included staging a pop concert in May 1991, and contributed some of his own resources, and the campaign raised £57 million. She denied suggestions that Archer created the impression that he had personally raised £57 million and said it was wrong that as a result of subsequent police inquiries his prisoner classification was changed from Category D to the higher security status, Category C.
When asked if she had found it difficult to stand by her husband during his Old Bailey trial when he was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice and sentenced to four years, Lady Archer replied: "It was a very difficult period, but I don't find it difficult to stand by him, no." She said the prison regime at Wayland in Norfolk was conducive to writing and her husband was anxious that the police investigation should be "speedily concluded" and his security status reclassified so that he could be moved to an open prison.
After the 1991 appeal, the BRC said the Simple Truth Campaign had led to Red Cross and Red Crescent groups worldwide receiving £57 million, including £9.2 million from the UK.
However, Today suggested that the pop concert did not make a profit and the majority of the £57 million was donated by governments. It said the UN High Commission for Refugees received £122 million in donations for the Kurds and only £1 million came directly from the BRC's Simple Truth fund. It was suggested that the £1 million came from the £9.2 million raised in the UK over which the BRC had control.
About £5.9 million of this was passed to other charities to spend on relief for the Kurds, while the rest was spent on items such as canned food, tents and blankets.
A senior Red Cross official who worked on the Kurdish campaign, Mr Patrick Healey, said: "The figure arose because BRC staff were asked in the period after the Simple Truth concert how much money had been raised for Kurdish relief and came up with the global figure of £57 million."