By Samantha Jones-
The organiser of a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol during which the city’s Colston statue was toppled, has pleaded not guilty to two fraud charges.
Xahra Saleem, 22,(pictured) of Briars Walk, appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday accused of two counts of fraud by abuse of position.
The protest saw the statue of Edward Colston pushed into Bristol harbour on June 7 2020.
It followed the death of George Floyd in the US and related to the subsequent global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
Saleem is said to have been one of the organisers of the demonstration and set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for face masks and other equipment, to allow the event to go ahead legally as it was taking place at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She is said to have made an agreement that any excess funds would go to Bristol-based charity Changing Your Mindset Ltd, but kept the funds for herself.
After the widely attended protest, the page raised tens of thousands of pounds. But none of the money has allegedly ever reached the charity.
The defendant is also said to have set up a fundraising page following the protest to raise money for the legal costs of those facing charges.
Those funds were allegedly never handed over for the stated purposes for which they were gathered.
The allegations are reminiscent of but different to suspicions that former Black Lives Matter’s former director, Patrick Cullors.
Cullors was forced to step down from her position following revelation she had purchased four homes for nearly $3 million. She initially accused the press of pursuing a negative agenda against her , before stating that she was a college professor and author of a number of books, in an attempt to explain the imbalance between her wealth and her professional endeavours.
Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School who specializes in nonprofits, said the details of the house’s management deserve closer scrutiny.
When confronted by The Eye Of Media and asked to properly justify her acquired wealth, she declined to comment. Others from Los Angelis speaking in her defence urged this news outlet not to join ”the right wing” media in demonising Ms Cullors- a baselss claim on all acocunts.
The charges against Ms Saleem allege that on June 24 2020 Saleem “committed fraud in that, while occupying a position, namely director, in which she was expected to safeguard, or not act against, the financial interests of Changing Your Mindset Ltd, she dishonestly abused that position intending thereby to make a gain, namely used the funds raised for herself contrary to section 1 and 4 of the the Fraud Act 2006.
“Then on June 29 2020 Saleem committed fraud in that, while occupying a position, namely organiser, in which she was expected to safeguard, or not act against, the financial interests of the ABL Bristol, she dishonestly abused that position intending thereby to make a gain, namely used the funds raised for yourself contrary to section 1 and 4 of the the Fraud Act 2006.”
Saleem was taken into court wearing a black niqab and long navy blue trench coat and spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth, and state her not guilty pleas.
District Judge Lynne Matthews told the defendant that due to the seriousness of the case it would have to be dealt with at the crown court.
Saleem will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on January 30.