Wyclef Jean’s Haitian relief charity Yele goes under, leaving behind a mountain of debt and unfinished projects.
The Haitian born hip hop star came under scrutiny in 2010 after reports surfaced alleging that his charity Yele is misusing funds. The Former Fugee singer denied the allegations.
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According to a report by New York Times, Yele’s financial problems devastate the organization and left no mark in his homeland Haiti.
In the in dept report by the Times shows that most of the millions of dollars raised by the organizations goes into workers salaries including Wyclef Jean, consultants fees, legal and travel expenses.
An audit revealed that $3 million were spent on expenses between the years 2005 to 2009, with $256,580 spent on illegitimate benefits paid out to Wyclef Jean and other board members.
Here is where it gets interesting.
According to the audit, $24,000 was spent on chauffeur services for Wyclef, and $30,763 spent on a private jet that transported actress Lindsay Lohan from New Jersey to Chicago for a benefit rally.
Yele’s expenses ballooned to as much as $9 million in 2010, with nearly half of that going into traveling. $1.4 million was spent on office over heads, while another $37,000 was spent on rental fees for a Manhattan studio own by Wyclef Jean.
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Half a million was spent on construction of temporary homes, a plaza in Cité Soleil, and a medical center, none of which can be accounted for.
Wyclef Jean’s spokesperson, Melanie A. Bonvicino, released a statement on Facebook addressing the New York Times article.
“At present, my client Wyclef Jean and his legal team are working ‘assiduously’ to resolve any pending issues with respect to Yéle prior to its closing, as Mr. Jean continues his tireless commitment to his ‘beloved’ country by remaining steadfast in his efforts to encourage the global community to join him in supporting ongoing relief efforts in Haiti,” Bonvicino said.
You can read the in dept article on NYTimes website here.
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