Oxfam Haiti scandal suspects threaten key witnesses: Report

Three members of the controversial Oxfam Haiti team that was under investigation for sexual exploitation and other breaches physically threatened a colleague to ensure that person’s silence

The charity’s own inquiry revealed the information in its confidential report, released on Monday.

The report was published as part of Oxfam’s efforts to draw a line under the crisis that has engulfed it for a week.

It contains damning new details of serious misconduct in Oxfam’s operations following Haiti’s devastating earthquake.

In addition to the breaches of using sex workers and physical threats, a staff member was dismissed for using the charity’s computing equipment to download “pornographic and illegal material” to a laptop.

A copy of the report – with the names of former employees who were dismissed following the scandal redacted – includes details of how the allegations.

Significantly, the report also describes in detail the controversial deal that allowed the disgraced country director, Roland van Hauwermeiren, to quietly resign in exchange for helping with the inquiry.

In addition to the use of sex workers, the report notes Van Hauwermeiren was also accused of “negligence and failure to safeguard employees – in particular, female employees”.

In a statement accompanying the report Oxfam explained why it was publishing its inquiry.