Ex-Oxfam director condemns sex-scandal ‘lies’

THE former Oxfam chief at the heart of an aid worker sex scandal has dismissed allegations that he threw parties with prostitutes as “lies and exaggerations”.

Roland van Hauwermeiren resigned as the charity’s director in Haiti in 2011 amid accusations he used sex workers while delivering aid to the earthquake-hit region.

Oxfam is struggling to stem an exodus of support after The Times newspaper alleged it had concealed findings from an inquiry into the behaviour of several staff members.

Breaking his silence on the scandal for the first time, Mr van Hauwermeiren admitted certain details that had come to light were accurate.

He told Belgian newspaper De Standaard: “A lot of people, including in the international media, will be blushing with shame when they hear my version of the facts.

“It is not that I deny everything. There are things that are described correctly.

“But there are many lies and exaggerations.

“Parties every week? Fancy villas? Women paid with money from the organisation?”

He indicated the revelations had taken a personal toll, telling the paper: “It is especially bad that my family no longer want to see me.”

It comes as International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was due to meet director-general of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Lynne Owens to discuss how they could jointly tackle sexual exploitation and abuse.

The NCA has been “closely monitoring” allegations of overseas abuse and has said it has a range of powers to investigate certain sexual offences committed outside the UK.