ACNC Enquiry-A Summary through An Email
After the chaos of 2020 and the subsequent collapse of Lentils As Anything as well as my own mental health, I initiated a request for the ACNC to investigate the occurances of the company to identify what I believed were wrongdoings by Mr Komesaroff, Mr James and other former Directors of the company (deemed illegally so as well). Below is the email which was sent to a contact at the ACNC which also serves as an outline for what the period became for myself and LAA. ASIC was also notified however to my knowledge, they have yet to come to further conclusions.
-Shanaka Fernando
From: Megan Evans <m.evans@lentilasanything.com>
Date: 31 January 2022 at 9:29:35 AM AEDT
To: Shanaka Fernando <shanaka.lentil@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: A reflection
On Mon, 31 Jan 2022 at 5:45 am, Shanaka Fernando <shanaka.lentil@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Natalie
A few days ago the Broadsheet published the following article.
This at a time when we were desperately trying to raise enough funds to be sustainable.
The article rehashed claims made in the Age and SMH that the organisation was guilty of misappropriating funds.
We were convicted without trial.
For an organisation that has practised trust as it’s core value we were naturally gutted.
We feed people irrespective of a financial exchange.
I have CCD our external accountant Richard Suttie who took over our accounts in 2018 and went to great lengths to reconcile and provide an audited financial report each year.
I question the purpose of this exercise when an individual can provide their own version of our accounts without basis, proof or evidence and this usurps the efforts of our accountant and auditor.
He might as well have said that lentil as anything is operated by 14 Nigerian voodoo snakes, get a forensic accountant company to put their letterhead and feed it to the media.
The pandemic struck at the heart of our movement. Our venues brought together 3000 people a day , to eat, chat and experience diverse, open community.
Then we had to distance.
Through these challenges we still produced food .
Then came the attempted hostile takeover. A team that enjoyed freedom and empowerment , were overpowered by a person and his daughter , who had no idea how restaurants run, let alone a unique model such as ours.
The team were bullied and traumatised.
They were told that they were useless and only he could save them. His solution was to put the company into administration.
The team of 14, independent of the then chair and his daughter launched a gofundme campaign and 6500 people donated approx $450 k.
The euphoria was balanced by the tenacious attempts of this individual to cling to power.
He assumed executive powers and withdrew $53k from our account towards his coup.
Realising he didn’t have the support of the lentil voting members , he stepped down at the AGM.
This was in November 2020.
Since then he has embarked on a campaign to destroy the organisation.
The Age published articles in March and May 2021
This saw the loss of major, lucrative partnerships. We also experienced a drop in patronage, donations and volunteers .
We live in a society where mistrust is the prevalent attitude and purveyors of malice can easily sway the public towards their design.
20 years of infusing love and kindness to the culture of cut throat commercialism is undone by one man.
His actions have destroyed many lives already.
Of the 14 core staff members from December 12 have left the organisation.
Their self belief and confidence shattered.
Our attempts to harness the support of the community in the ensuing fundraisers fell well short of expectations.
ABC tv pulled out of giving us airtime citing the claims of corruption.
Would you support an organisation that is accused of corruption ?
How many would do their own research?
Many asylum seekers have lost their jobs.This due to the actions of a man who runs an NGO called Global Reconciliation.
Our major suppliers , some who have stood by us for 2 decades in relationships of solid trust stand to suffer bad credit.
These are local small businesses delicately perched in these troubled times.
Even our scope to afford legal exoneration is limited by our lack of funds.
Perhaps the truth will emerge posthumously
the deceived might shrug and focus on the next sensational click bait.
Natalie I believe that you and the ACNC are entrusted with the task of policing and guiding organisations such as ours to continue the service we provide.
What protection and support can you provide us when we are attacked in this manner?
Is this in your purview?
Is there scope for a more expedient response that upholds integrity and deters corrupt and malicious action?
Where we are at is no vindication for decency, hard work , innovation and selfless service to the community.
Self serving righteousness is no substitute for freedom and equality.
Humanity deserves better
Warm regards
Shanaka
Sent from my iPhone
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Cultivating a culture of giving through food, friendship and empathy.
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