Bono apology after charity abuse claims

SINGER’S FURY AT ALLEGATIONS

BONO has apologised after claims were made that workers at a charity he co-founded were subjected to a culture of bullying and abuse.

The U2 singer, inset, said he was left “furious” after the allegations surfaced in November last year. The 57-year-old admitted the ONE organisation failed to protect some employees at its Johannesburg office and said: “I need to take some responsibility for that.”

His comments came as the Mail on Sunday detailed a string of incidents, including allegations from a woman who says she was demoted after refusing to have sex with a Tanzanian MP. “We are all deeply sorry. I hate bullying, can’t stand it,” he told the paper. “The poorest people in the poorest places being bullied by their circumstance is the reason we set up ONE. “So to discover that there were serious and multiple allegations of bullying in our office in Johannesburg left me and the ONE board reeling and furious.” Some former employees have launched legal action against the charity. Gayle Smith, ONE’s chief executive officer, said an investigation found evidence of “unprofessional conduct” between late 2011 and 2015.