Black Lives Matter organizer Xahra Saleem has been jailed for lavishly spending £30,000 in donation money on her luxurious lifestyle.
Xahra Saleem fraudulently misappropriated donation money raised during a GoFundMe campaign associated with a BLM demonstration in Bristol.
Saleem, 23, who co-organized the protest that led to the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue, had set up the fundraiser to collect money for Covid personal protective equipment.
As the march gained widespread attention and support, donations to the fundraiser soared, accumulating a total of £32,344. The surplus funds were meant to be directed towards Changing Your Mindset, a local youth company of which Saleem was the director. This decision was based on the trust placed in her as a key figure in the Black Lives Matter movement.
According to The Independent, Saleem diverted the funds into her personal account. She reportedly embarked on a 15-month spending spree on various “lifestyle expenses.” Alistair Haggerty, the prosecutor, revealed that Saleem made £2,512 transactions, spending money on items like an iPhone, iMac, hair and beauty treatments, clothing, Amazon purchases, food deliveries, and over £5,800 on Uber rides.
Saleem’s actions came to light when she confessed to a friend via WhatsApp. She admitted that she had done something “horrendous” and couldn’t account for the expenditures. She repeatedly avoided responding to the youth company’s requests for the funds, offering excuses related to GoFundMe issues and purported hospital stays.
In June 2021, the organization issued an ultimatum, demanding the transfer of the money. In response, Saleem sent an email apologizing and stating she had spent the funds. This financial loss resulted in the cancellation of an educational trip to Africa that the organization had planned and eventually led to its closure.
Xahra Saleem had initially denied the charge of fraud by abuse of position when she appeared in Bristol Magistrates’ Court in January. However, in September, she changed her plea to guilty. She was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Bristol Crown Court.
Source iHarare
