Complaint after Mojo founder backs Solidarity leader
By Paul Hutcheon, Scottish Political Editor

A publicly-funded charity set up to assist people who have been wrongfully imprisoned is facing a probe into its support for a controversial politician charged with perjury.

The Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (Mojo) in Scotland, run by campaigner John McManus, has been criticised after backing former MSP Tommy Sheridan. Its support for Sheridan has led to a complaint being made to the charity regulator about MOJO's compliance with strict rules governing political activity.

MOJO was set up by McManus and Birmingham Six victim Paddy Hill to assist "innocent people both in prison and after their release", for which they received £58,450 last year from the Scottish Government - the bulk of their funding.

The charity also provides an advocacy service to help prisoners who claim they are innocent, by recommending defence lawyers and forensic experts.

However, the group is facing an investigation after McManus came out in support of Sheridan, the co-leader of Solidarity. The left-wing politician won a high-profile defamation case in 2006 against News of the World, but has since been charged with perjury.

The "Defend Tommy Sheridan" campaign was then set up, with McManus one the group's most high-profile supporters. McManus' name, next to Mojo, appears on the campaign's list of "individuals who have pledged support" for the former MSP, while a statement in his name reads: "There is little doubt that if this was any other person, they the police would not have gone to the length they have, especially for a civil case."

The Mojo founder also made a keynote speech at the "Defend Tommy Sheridan" rally earlier this year. Flyers for the rally flag up the appearance of McManus, in his Mojo capacity.

A complaint has now been lodged with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), which has been asked to investigate MOJO's political activity and links with the Sheridan campaign.

Charities are forbidden from advancing political parties and must always act in ways that demonstrate "public benefit". Guidance supplied to charities states: "There needs to be a link between activities and the reason the charity was set up and recognised as having charitable purposes."

Mojo's remit applies to individuals who have been sentenced, rather than to people who have been charged with an offence.

McManus said: "Tommy supported our organisation from its inception. If somebody supported me in the past, I will support them when they need my help." He added: "Tommy Sheridan is not a political party. I wouldn't say it was campaigning for a political party."

A spokesman for OSCR would neither confirm nor deny whether any charity was subject to a complaint.