A Nigerian , Dr. Chuma Igbokwe 45, one time consul of Britain to Niger (forced to step down due to this sex scandal) and medical director of a group of private hospitals has been found guilty of sexual harassing his secretary 41 year old Vanessa Turley.
Vanessa who was forced to quit her £15,000-a-year job as an administrator at St Luke’s Hospital in Ebbw Vale, South Wales as a result of the harassment, launched a tribunal claim, saying she had been sexually harassed and bullied by the married doctor.
Dr Igbokwe, who is a qualified psychiatrist told the tribunal that he had no sexual interest in Mrs Turley, who had ‘flirted outrageously’ with him.
A panel at Cardiff Employment Tribunal rejected his evidence and upheld her claims of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, unfair dismissal and victimisation.
She is now set for a substantial damages payment running into tens of thousands of pounds from St Luke’s Healthcare Group for lost earnings and hurt feelings.
The panel while delivering its verdict said : ‘There were express references by word and gesture to sexual intercourse or other sexual acts and Dr Igbokwe exposed his penis to Mrs Turley.
‘We inferred that there was also a sexual subtext to the invitations to meet Dr Igbokwe at a hotel, given that there was no legitimate work-related reason for those invitations.
‘We were also quite satisfied that the matters listed above violated Mrs Turley’s dignity and created a hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment for her.’
The married mother-of-three, who joined the hospital in March 2008, speaking after the judgement said: ‘I went to the police but they said there was nothing they could do because it would just be my word against his.
‘But everybody at work knew what he was like and there was no way I was going to let him get away with it. He tried to pay me off before the hearing to shut me up but I did not want his dirty money – I wanted to expose him for what he was.
‘This has been crippling for me emotionally, physically and financially. It has cost me over £10,000 just to bring him to court.
‘I may have won the case but the whole thing has been a complete nightmare. I lost my job and I still have nightmares about him when I am trying to sleep.’
While describing her ordeal which called horrendous, she broke down as she told the tribunal how she was left ‘totally shocked’ at the behaviour of Dr Igbokwe, who has since stood down from his diplomatic post.
Describing an incident in the doctor’s office she said: ‘He held my hips from behind, thrusting himself against me and told me to sit down.
‘I was scared. He sat in the chair and was fumbling with his trouser fly zip. He stood in front of me preventing me from moving, exposed himself and gestured for me to perform a sexual act on him. I pushed him aside and made haste to the door.’
She said: ‘I was scared of him because he had such power. He was the consul for Niger, he is a company director, and chairman of various companies. How could I stand up against him?’
She confided in colleagues about the harassment and the tribunal found her ordeal became widely known in the hospital.
She was then left ‘humiliated’ when Dr Igbokwe retaliated by arranging for her to be demoted to working in the reception area.
After resigning in June last year she reported her former boss to the police. An investigation was started but no charges were brought.
The tribunal heard Dr Igbokwe had been suspended by the General Medical Council, which is investigating other complaints of sexual harassment against him.
Mrs Turley told the tribunal: ‘My home life was suffering and my marriage was breaking down due to the stress. I was subjected to his bullying and victimised for up to a year.’
A remedy hearing to determine Mrs Turley’s compensation is due to take place later this year.