The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Charity hit with 26 more misconduct allegations
OXFAM: Boss apologises over inappropriate comments to press
Oxfam has received 26 allegations of misconduct since the Haiti sex scandal erupted two weeks ago, charity chiefs have revealed.
Mark Goldring, Oxfam GB’S chief executive, said 16 of the claims stemmed from abroad, while 10 came from the UK.
Giving evidence to the Commons International Development Committee, Mr Goldring said around 7,000 people have cancelled regular donations to Oxfam over the past 10 days, adding that corporate sponsors appeared to be “reserving judgment”.
Asked how many more revelations had come to his notice since newspaper reports of the Haiti scandal emerged earlier this month, Mr Goldring said: “Across Oxfam Great Britain we have had about 26 stories.
“We really want people to come forward wherever they are and whenever this happened.
Some of those cases relate to the UK, some of them relate to our international programme.”
Mr Goldring apologised after committee chairman Stephen Twigg said that the parallel the charity chief drew with the murder of babies in an interview with the Guardian was regarded by many people as “grossly inappropriate”.
Mr Goldring responded: “I do apologise. I was under stress.”
Oxfam International’s executive director Winnie Byanyima told the committee: “Some hideous men came into our organisation and abused the trust of the British people, the supporters. But they were able to get away, to get a recommendation to leave. This was wrong.”
And Caroline Thomson, who became chairwoman of Oxfam’s trustees in October 2017, said: “On behalf of the council of Oxfam, we are ashamed of what happened in Haiti.
“We don’t think it was well handled and our task now is to make sure we report always with transparency and accountability.”