IPNEWS: Wynee Cummings Wilson, the women at the center of the controversial ‘sexual harassment’ case field against Liberia’s Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Kemayah, has broken silence following days of intense presence in the news.
Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson has refuted recent claims by authorities of the Liberia permanent Mission, to the United Nations terming her as an ‘apprentice, employee.
In a dispatch from New Yorke, Mrs. Wynee Cummings Wilson clarified that she remains a staff at the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations in New York, serving in the capacity as secretary when Minister Kemayah took advantage of her.
Madam Wilson stated that her compliant field was not against the Ministry of Foeign Affairs but against Minister Dee Maxwell Kemayah contrary to what is been portrayed by Kemayah and his cohorts including Robert Sammie, National Chairman of the MOVEE political party, to which Maxwell Kemayah serves as Political leader.
“The fact is that Minister Kemayah hired a private lawyer when I first complained him on September 3, 2020. I did not see any press statement issued by the ministry “refuting” my allegation. My action is solely directed at an individual, Minister Kemayah. For the record, I am not an “apprentice”! My bank account reflecting salary payments to me does not carry such title. This is a diabolical lie intended to mislead the public from the accused Minister, Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah, who has no morals, no principles, and no values.”
“These deliberate distortions, represent a pattern of harassments, intimidations, retaliations, and retributions by Minister Kemayah since I reported him for sexual harassment to the Office of Foreign Missions at the United States Department of State in September 2020. For the last six (6) months, Minister Kemayah has refused to authorize my salary payments and ordered that I be removed from payroll. However, for service to country, I have continued to go to work regularly with the hope that all the complaints made to senior officials of government in Monrovia regarding my treatment at the Permanent Mission in the hands of Minister Kemayah and cronies will yield fruitful results. Also, quite recently, he ordered that I be prevented from entering the office.”
“To date, all of appeals to address my situation have fallen on deaf ears as I have not received a penny of my salary owed me. Regarding the reference to my employment eligibility as a “Local Staff” at Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations, the United States Mission to the United Nations provided clarity, here under, on this matter, which was forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia: “Individuals with a valid work authorization are allowed to be employed as a local hire by a Permanent Mission.”; An individual’s work authorization, or employment eligibility, refers to his or her legal right to work in the United States. I provided on multiple occasions, as requested, my valid Employment Authorization document in keeping with United States law to enable me to work as a “Local” staff at the permanent mission. Since September 2019, I have functioned as a secretary but a “local” staff.”
“How come I was placed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs payroll and received salaries when Minister Kemayah was Ambassador? How did I get on the Ministry’s payroll and receive monthly salary for over three (3) years? Why all of a sudden after I reported the sexual harassment by Minister Kemayah, then I am no longer a staff of the Permanent Mission but without a termination letter? Did I not meet the host country’s requirements? Or does this mean that the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations was in violation of the host country’s laws?” Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson question.
Madam Wilson said current pattern of press conferences and releases been issued by Mr. Kemayah and his cohorts are intended to silence her from exposing the immoral character of Dee-Maxwell Kemayah.
“Finally, I believe the action taken against me on Monday, November 6, 2023, was a continuation of the pattern of harassments, intimidations, retaliations, and retributions by Minister Kemayah to silence me from speaking out. Let the word go forth that Minister Kemayah cannot break my spirit to fight for justice. No matter what Minister Kemayah throws my way, he will account for his actions either willingly or he will be forced to through the appropriate laws. I appreciate all of the support and I ask for your continue prayers.” Mrs. Wynee Cummings Wilson statement concludes.
Meanwhile, dismissed Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Henry B. Fahnbulleh, relievd this week by President George Manneh Weah, for administrative reasons has formally responded to this dismissal.
Fahnbulleh stated his dismissal was predicated upon lies and deception after his intervention in an incident involving a staff of the Liberia Permanent Mission, in person of Wynee Cummings Wilson.
Dismissed Deputy Minister Fahnbulleh admitted that a complaint was formally lodged to him in September 2020, by Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson, when he served as Acting Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the resignation of the then Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar M. Findley in July 2020.
Fahnbulleh said furthered that while in the exercise of his fiduciary responsibilities, he also spoke to the cops on the subject matter as well.
He then noted that on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, he started to receive many calls from some senior functionaries of government with close ties to the presidency, whose names he did not mentioned, that his statement to the cops validated Ms. Cummings’ allegation against Minister D. Maxwell Kemayah and that he should retract his statement because it was “embarrassing” the government of the Republic of Liberia.
He added that some of the calls went up to midnight on Tuesday. Adding that he was in no mood to oblige to such request because according to him that was a statement of fact.
The former Minster said, “it did not come much as a surprise to me for President Weah to have wielded his constitutional powers to relieve him of his duties as the Principal Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs”.
Hon. Fahnbulleh added that What baffled him, was the speed by which such action was taken, when the simplest action to constitute an independent committee to probe into the myriad of similar allegations, which some of the Ministry’s development partners have found credible and had taken actions, has been largely ignored.
He said that he believed that every man or woman must own up to his or her actions.
It may be recalled, this week a statement from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations stated that Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson, was an intern who claims to be an employee of the mission.
“The Ministry would like to refute the falsehood that Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson is spreading that she is an employee of the Permanent Mission and that she has been witch-hunted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release said.
“The truth is, Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson was never an employee of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations (UN), as she might want the public to believe, but rather was accepted as an ‘apprentice’ since she pleaded with the mission to afford her the opportunity to learn more about the United Nations system, where she desires to seek a future career.
“However, on June 7, 2023, the ministry informed and reminded Madam Wilson to submit all relevant documents to enable the ministry to regularize her employment status at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations.
“The communication further informed Madam Wilson of the requirements of the host country, the United States of America, and the United Nations Protocol for registration and completion of the employment process, which includes the following: a green card or citizenship, work authorization, the most recent I-94 record, a valid passport, a visa to approve an employee’s registration at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and to facilitate the issuance of an identification card, along with a complete registration with the UN Protocol and Liaison Service.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Mrs. Wilson has so far submitted only her work authorization for the period 2022–2023. Unfortunately, as of the stated deadline of June 30, 2023, she was unable to submit all the other documents required. This claim has not been independently confirmed by IPNEWS.
“Therefore, the Ministry is notifying you, Ms. Wynee Cummings Wilson, by this communication, that as of July 1, 2023, the Ministry would remove your name from the compensation of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations,” the ministry’s release disclosed.
The Ministry further intoned that at the Permanent Mission in New York, where Madam Wilson has been serving as an ‘apprentice’ since 2019, the Ministry received information that the mission has verbally held meetings with Wilson and repeatedly requested her to submit an application for the post she wished to occupy as well as all necessary immigration documentation in her possession since there is nothing in her file so as to regularize her status with the mission.
“The Permanent Mission, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is not in possession of a copy of any appointment letter addressed to Madam Wilson,” the foreign ministry continued, noting that she is the only person at the Permanent Mission without an identification card because she has refused to submit any documentation to the Permanent Mission but rather has informed the “Mission to instruct the Ministry to employ her and not play game with her”.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that similar actions have been taken at other missions around the world where the host countries’ protocol call for time limit to stay in a country as a diplomat or staff, to include London, Washington, D.C., Addis Ababa and Abidjan, where affected staff have been very cooperative with administration.
