Ministry finds NO case in “sex for seasonal work space” claim

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade has confirmed that it has investigated allegations of sexual favour for places to work overseas under the seasonal labour programme and found no cases and no one had come forward to report any allegations

In December there was a report in the media claiming that certain officers in the Labour Mobility Unit were seeking sexual favour for spaces to work overseas under the labour mobility programme.

That has caused widespread debate and concerns from the public. The government in response had promised to investigate the matter.

Speaking exclusively to SBMOnline today, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Exeternal Trade, Collin Beck said: “Further to the Ministry’s press statement in December last year on allegation of sexual favors by Labour Mobility Unit of the Ministry. We looked into the matter and found no case as well as no one came forward to report any allegation incident.”

Meanwhile, he confirms that a reported case was investigated in 2021.

He said it was a case of a bogus individual from the public posing as an officer of the Ministry via phone, used an officer ‘s title to contact a female candidate for sexual and monetary favor.

Beck said the Ministry looked into the matter and confirmed someone was pretending to be a member of the Ministry and advised the victim to take the matter further with the Police.

“We consider matter criminal,” he said today.

News@SBMOnline2023