As Liberia declare Rape National Emergency, Head of Permanent Mission in the U.S. accused of ‘Sexual harassment’

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Liberia’s Permanent Mission in the United States, head Ambassador Dee- Maxwell Kemayah.

 

Barely 48 hours after the president George Manneh Weah declared rape as a national emergency, the government of Liberia says it has officially received a complaint of sexual harassment from a staff at Liberia’s Permanent Mission in the United States, Ambassador Dee- Maxwell Kemayah.

The Complaint, which was filed by Mrs.  Wynee Cummings Wilson a staff at the Liberian mission in New York has since been to forwarded to the Gender Ministry, the government responsible to deal with such issue.

 In her communication, Mrs. Wynee Cummings Wilson allegedly accused Foreign Minister designate, Ambassador Dee- Maxwell Kemayah of sexual harassment.

With state radio interview Monday, September, 14, 2020 Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Smith Toby said the Ministry of Gender has been mandated to investigate the allegation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Toby disclosed that President Weah has not withdrawn the appointment of Ambassador Kemayah as Foreign Minister Designate.

President Weah in his proclamation also announced the appointment of a Special Prosecutor for rape; the setting up of a National Sex Offender Registry.

The president has also spoke of an establishment of a National Security Task Force on SGBV and the allotment of an initial amount of USD 2 Million to fund to beef up the fight against rape and SGBV.

Speaking following the issuance of the proclamation, President Weah said his administration would spare no effort in ensuring that the epidemic of rape and SGBV is curtailed.

He said additional measures will be announced subsequently including Executive Orders aimed at protecting the vulnerable and banning harmful traditional practices.

However, it remains unclear whether president Weah will go ahead with the appointment of Ambassador Kemayah as some pundits have already started calling on the president Weah to halt  Kemayah’s nomination.

Kemayah’s Legal team denies allegations

According to the complaint by Ms. Wilson on several occasions Mr. Kemayah will lock his office door and ask her to kiss him but she refused.

Kemayah’s legal team wondered why would Ms. Wilson wasted too much time without reporting the event to the police until he (Kemayah) was nominated for the Foreign Minister position

“This lie of hers is so outlandish. This is not in the Ambassador’s nature.

“Throughout his more than 28 years of experience in the private, public, and international arena, this is the only allegation ever,” the legal group said.

According to Kemayah’s legal team, Every time Ms. Wilson tells her story it becomes more and more embellished.

However, she has never mentioned that she has been disciplined by the Ambassador and staff at the Mission.

Ms. Wilson and the Secretary even agreed to have every communication between them documented because according to the Secretary, Ms. Wilson always gives different versions of what her boss, the Secretary, tells her.

The team added that Ambassador Kemayah has told Ms. Wilson on numerous occasions to get close to her boss, the secretary, but she has allegedly refused to work with Mrs. Maggie Gibson-Glay, the Ambassador’s Secretary.

“As we stated in our September 4, 2020 email to Ms. Wilson our client denies these false allegations. All further communications shall be directed to this law firm, so that the Ambassador can continue to focus on his work.”

The legal team noted that people at the United Nations Mission knows Ambassador Kemayah ranks women related issues as a priority. Many people admire and recognized his role as Ambassador in 2019 in the successful preparation, hosting, and participation of the Republic of Liberia’s Women Delegation to the 63rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America.

Anti-Rape Campaigner protest

On August 25, 2020 thousands of Liberians including women, men and children  matched through the principle streets of Monrovia calling for an end to rape culture in the country.

Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the anti-rape campaigner[photo: Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbe]

dressed up in black, the campaigners say they are tired of seeing children as young as 3-year old being rape by elderly men and want government take punitive action.

More than 600 rape and sexually offensive cases have been recorded since January 2020, a report by the Liberia Gender and Children Protection Ministry says.

 

 

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