Trio on Oxfam’s Haiti team threatened key witness
HAITI - Three members of the controversial Oxfam Haiti team that was under investigation for sexual exploitation and other breaches physically threatened a colleague to ensure that person’s silence, according to the charity’s own inquiry into the claims.
The confidential report, finally released yesterday as part of Oxfam’s efforts to draw a line under the crisis that has engulfed it for a week, contains damning new details of serious misconduct in Oxfam’s operations following Haiti’s devastating earthquake. In addition to the breaches of using sex workers and physical threats, a staff member was dismissed for using the charity’s computing equipment to download “pornographic and illegal material” to a laptop. The Guardian understands the “illegal material” to have been pirated videos. A copy of the report with the names of former employees who were dismissed following the scandal redacted includes details of how the allegations came to light and of Oxfam’s investigative process, which included interviews with some 40 witnesses. Although their names and job titles were redacted from the released report, the Guardian understands the staff members disciplined for improper behavior came from across all areas of the team’s operations, from managers to assistants.
Significantly, the report also describes in detail the controversial deal that allowed the disgraced country director, Roland van Hauwermeiren, to quietly resign in exchange for helping with the inquiry. In addition to the use of sex workers, the report notes Van Hauwermeiren was also accused of “negligence and failure to safeguard employees in particular, female employees”. In a statement accompanying the report Oxfam explained why it was publishing its inquiry. “We are making this exceptional publication because we want to be as transparent as possible about the decisions we made during this particular investigation and in recognition of the breach of trust that has been caused. “We are also meeting with the government of Haiti to apologies for our mistakes and discuss what more we can do, including for the women affected by these events. We hope this also contributes to rebuilding trust with those who support our work. (CNN)