Chief hired to clean up Oxfam denies covering up sex scandal
THE chief executive of Oxfam who vowed to clean up the charity after the Haiti sex scandal was yesterday forced to deny covering up similar wrongdoing at his former workplace.
Danny Sriskandarajah, who took over last year after the former chief and his deputy quit in the wake of the revelations, promised “systematic and cultural changes” at the charity.
But it has now been alleged that in 2009, when Mr Sriskandarajah was the director general of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), a senior figure there was allowed to “quietly resign” after it emerged he had paid for sex during taxpayer-funded trips to Amsterdam and Los Angeles.
Nigel Mccollum, the former head of public affairs at the RCS, told The Mail on Sunday that he blew the whistle on the employee, but was shocked to find little action was taken and the man was allowed to move to another job in the charity sector. Mr Mccollum said he himself ended up being ostracised, was made to sign a gagging order and was eventually forced out of the charity.
Speaking about the Haiti scandal cover-up, Mr Mccollum said: “This is remarkably similar to what happened on his watch at the RCS. This man covered up a scandal there, so he should not have been hired to clean up Oxfam. It’s staggering.”
Mr Sriskandarajah denied the allegations, claiming he was unaware of the specifics of the case as it had been handled by the trustees of the RCS. “I was not involved in, or party to, any decisions relating to the resignation referred to in The Mail on Sunday,” he said in a statement last night.
“The matter was rightly dealt with by the trustees at the time and not me.
“I had been in post for just eight weeks at the time of the resignation.
“As the director of the RCS I was assured by the trustees that the allegations related to the individual’s personal life and not the RCS.”
Oxfam refused to confirm whether it would investigate the allegations, despite calls by David Morris, the Conservative MP, for an inquiry.
“‘It stands to reason that the person brought in to clean up Oxfam must himself be beyond reproach,” said Mr Morris. “Therefore, these allegations must be investigated as a matter of the utmost urgency.”
The RCS said legal advice was taken by the council of trustees to ensure that all the relevant disclosures were made and due practice followed with regard to the resignation.