Secretary denies claims

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday 5th September, 2012

REINSTATED Community Development secretary Joseph Klapat has denied claims of sexual harassment against female staff during his nine years with the department before he was suspended last December.
His suspension was lifted by the National Executive Council on Aug 20 following presentations to cabinet by Minister for Religion, Youth and Community Development Loujaya Toni.
Cabinet, in the same decision, also approved for an independent investigation on the sexual harassment and other allegations made against Klapat to be coordinated by the attorney-general.
Media reports late last month and on Sunday claimed that Klapat had sexually harassed 11 female staff of the department.
However, the department secretary said the claims were not true.
“I deny the allegations of sexual harassment of female staff of the office.
“In the past nine years, I have managed the department with a high degree of integrity and strong stance on human rights.
“These allegations never surfaced and why now, only after cabinet had made a decision to uplift my suspension?”
He also called on disgruntled departmental staff to use the appropriate dispute mediation mechanisms to air their grievances rather than going to the media.
Klapat said his strong management in the past nine years had seen the department developed from a lowly-ranked category D department to category B, enjoying equal status with the health and education departments.
“The department’s budget has increased significantly in the past nine years from more than K4 million in 2000 to more than K25 million this year.
“In the same period, the department has improved its control mechanisms in the internal operating environment with the assistance of the Australian government through AusAID by placing financial and strategic management advisers in the department to train staff.
“This has resulted in the department receiving a four-star commendation from the Department of Finance for prudently managing public funds in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act.”
He also denied claims of personally hand-picking close relatives to occupy management positions within the department.
“All employees of the department are recruited on merit regardless of their race, gender or province of origin,” Klapat said.