The director of Scotland’s biggest festival for world music and dance quit after the board refused to launch a probe into the organisation’s vice-chair.
Chris Purnell resigned from the crisis-hit Edinburgh Mela amid questions over whether founding director Foysol Choudhury’s position on the board was invalid.
However, Choudhury angrily hit back by saying he felt “humiliated” and suggested he would contact the police.
The Mela, an annual multi-cultural celebration based in Leith, attracts over 25,000 people and receives around £300,000 of public subsidy.
Funders include Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Government, with ticket sales also bringing in revenue.
Until recently, the organisation was led by Purnell and overseen by a board including chair Shami Khan – a Labour List candidate at the Holyrood election - and Choudhury as vice-chair.
Choudhury is also prominent in the Edinburgh and Lothian's Regional Equality Council (ELREC) and had at one stage been tipped to be a Labour candidate at the last Westminster election.
Senior SNP councillor Adam McVey was on the board but he resigned recently.
However, it was reported in March that Purnell had suddenly quit, citing a “total breakdown of trust” and claiming some board members had displayed a “reckless disregard” for the organisation’s rules.
Public funding for the two-day festival is on hold, but a full explanation of the Purnell row was never offered.
The Sunday Herald can reveal that a minute of an emergency meeting of board members in January, leaked to this newspaper, lays bare the disarray and chaos in the Mela.
It shows Purnell informing board members he had received a “letter of complaint” from the Greater Sylhet Development and Welfare Council (GSC) – a Mela member – that presented a “huge concern” for the Mela.
The row centred on whether Choudhury was representing the GSC on the board, something the GSC disputed.
Picture: Mr Choudhury
According to the minute, Choudhury said he felt “humiliated” at the turn of events, but claimed he split from the GSC three years ago and set up a separate body of the same name.
He asked who gave the Mela staff “authority to go back through any paperwork as this presents issues around data protection and confidentiality”.
The minute noted him saying that, as the chair had not approved the initial Mela staff enquiry, the accusation was “totally invalid” and suggested “he would take the matter to the police”.
According to the minute, Purnell said it was “part of his job” to communicate with the membership and insisted the Mela was obliged to take such a complaint “very seriously”.
The minute stated: “CP added that the GSC is unaware of any other organisation operating in the UK with the same name”.
In any case, Purnell argued that Mela membership is “non-transferable”. The minute added: “CP also refuted FC’s suggestion that Mela matters are not anyone else’s business, as a public organisation and charity in receipt of large amounts of public money, our business is very clearly a matter of public interest”.
The minute continued: “CP explained that the GSC had no idea that FC claimed to represent them, as they understood he was nominated by ELREC.”
Purnell added that GSC UK was “adamant that they never authorised FC as their representative”.
He said it was a “question of constitutional compliance”.
Khan replied by saying “we cannot prove any wrongdoing” and warned the row could involve a “lengthy court process” that would damage the Mela.
Purnell urged the board “not to allow this issue to be swept under the carpet”, as it would “seriously jeopardise the integrity of the organisation”.
Picture: Mr Purnell
Two proposals were put to a vote. The first option, presented by Councillor McVey, was for an objective individual to conduct a “small and impartial enquiry” and report back to the board.
Purnell spoke in favour of this course of action, as he said the board was “incapable” of dealing with the issues raised.
Khan's option involved Choudhury providing paperwork to support his GSC membership.
The chair’s proposal was carried by 9 votes to 4 – with Choudhury voting for the Khan option.
Purnell quit weeks later and McVey resigned from the board in March.
Nazrul Islam, the General Secretary of the GSC Scotland Region, told this newspaper Choudhury is not a member of the GSC at either a UK or Scotland level.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Council said: “While funding for the 2016 event has been agreed in principle by the Council this cannot be released until we are satisfied the organisation is operating to robust governance procedures and has a clear plan to deliver the Festival. As a major funding partner, we expect and require appropriate controls to be in place across all organisations in receipt of public funding.”
The Mela did not respond to approaches for comment. Choudhury did not return calls. Purnell could not be reached.
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