A former Church of England official accused of defrauding a charity of more than £5m has been accused of racking up more theft than the late world broadcaster Alan Whicker.
Martin Sargeant, 52, who was chief operating officer of the Diocese of London from 2008 until his retirement in August 2019, and secretary of the city’s church grants committee, is accused of defrauding the charitable trust of around £5.2m over 10 years.
He is also accused of money laundering after he allegedly spent money from the trust, set up in 1891 to fund church restoration, on gambling and on more than 180 British Airways flights.
His alleged jet-setting prompted comparison with Whicker, who presented Whicker’s World, which ran from 1958 to 1994, first on the BBC and then on ITV.
Whicker, who won two Baftas and received a CBE for services to broadcasting before his death in 2013, reported on stories from around the world, including interviewing Haitian dictator François Duvalier and US billionaire John Paul Getty.
Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, described Sargeant’s alleged activities as “quite a success”, telling Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “I should imagine that even Alan Whicker in his day would not have made as many flights as this defendant during this period”.
Sargeant appeared in the dock on Friday, where he spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address in Dudley, West Midlands. He gave no indication of his statement when he was charged with fraud for abuse of office and money laundering.
The fraud indictment alleges that Sargeant abused his position as chief operating officer to earn the sum between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2019.
He is accused of fraudulently applying for funding grants for dysfunctional churches to steal the money by transferring it through church bank accounts he controlled through work.
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It is alleged that the money was later put into accounts under his name that he controlled and then spent. Pakenham said he used the money on “personal entertainment or frivolous things like gambling”.
It was decided that the charges were too serious to be dealt with at a magistrates’ court and they will be sent to Southwark crown court, where Sargeant is due to appear on September 2.
He was granted bail on the condition that he does not leave the UK, live at his address and refrain from contacting any employee of the Diocese of London.