Sex scandal: Entwistle’s allegations baseless , say accused Reps

• Minister to appear today

From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja

THE three members of the House of Representatives ac­cused of sexual misconduct while in Cleveland, Ohio during a trip for the Interna­tional Visitor Leadership Pro­gramme, yesterday, accused outgoing US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, of peddling falsehood.

Entwistle in a letter dated June 9, addressed to Speaker Yakubu Dogara, alleged that Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) were involved in sexual crime dur­ing their visit.

But the lawmakers de­scribed as weak and unsub­stantiated evidence of hotel staff who the US ambassa­dor said identified them in a group photograph taken dur­ing the programme.

Minister of Foreign Af­fairs, Geoffrey Onyeama was absent for the second time at the hearing being conducted by a House Joint Commit­tee- Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ethics and Privi­leges.

Onyeama had first written the committee asking for a new date as he was away in Kigali, Rwanda represent­ing Nigeria at the 29th Ordi­nary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union.

Yesterday, he again sent a letter explaining that he could not appear as he was billed to report the outcome of the AU session to President Muhammadu Buhari, even as he had to attend the Fed­eral Executive Council meet­ing. Subsequently, the min­ister was directed to appear before the committee today as he had supposedly met the US envoy on the matter.

But the minister’s absence did not stall the probe of the allegation levelled against the lawmakers as the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Ossai Nicholas Ossai ruled that the hearing must continue.

Gololo, who was first to testify flatly denied grabbing-at a staff of the Renaissance Hotel Cleveland, and de­manding for sex. The law­maker, who wondered why the hotel maid he allegedly grabbed-at did not scream for help insisted he neither had a maid clean his room, nor did he speak with any cleaning staff throughout his stay.

Gololo, while reiterating his demand for an apology for being falsely accused, com­pared his situation to that of disgraced former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, adding that unlike the case of ex-IMF boss where the United States had sufficient evidence, Entwistle failed to prove his case.

“These postponements (of appearance by minister) are denials in disguise,” he said.

Giving his testimony, Gbil­lah, who was again accom­panied by his wife and baby said he was a victim of racial profiling

He challenged the US en­voy to provide proof that he asked a car park attendant at the hotel to procure the services of a prostitute on his behalf.

The lawmaker, who beshed tears at a point dur­ing his submission, alleged that Entwistle treated the 10-man contingent from the House before and after the summit in a “condescending manner.”