THE managing director of Shelter Afrique, Alassane Ba, should be dismissed or "encouraged" to resign, according to US-based investigators Kroll Advisory Solution.
Ba allegedly assaulted Finance Director, Karen Kandie, on June 28. The Kroll report said Ba's departure would help cool down the crisis in the organisation but also lead to a leadership vacuum.
The probe was commissioned by the Shelter Afrique board following weeks of bad publicity. Ba allegedly assaulted Kandie at the Shelter Afrique offices at Upper Hill after she protested about the performance appraisal rating that he had given her.
Kroll, an
intelligence and information management company, was asked to investigate. Kroll harshly criticized the board and management for failing to take swift action.
The report said that the board should have immediately suspended Ba once the matter was reported as stipulated by Staff Rule 11.1. “To some degree, it must be argued that this strategic error was made as a result of the board having confused the action of protecting the reputation of the organization (Shelter Afrique) with protecting an agent of the organization (Ba),” the report states.
Kroll said this created the perception that the board was supporting Ba. The report said it was wrong for the board to sending Kandie on leave yet she was the complainant.
The report acknowledged that it was difficult to unravel what exactly happened but Kroll investigators observed widespread discontent over the years between local and foreign staff.
The report titled “Project Pendleton Internal Investigations” observed that Ba was "inexperienced" for his post and that the board should have provided him with mentoring to ensure he was prepared for the political role he was taking up instead of being "a micromanager."
The lack of a powerful human resource office contributed to an environment where the managing director was all-powerful, forcing junior officers to seek redress from other quarters including the media.
Both Ba and Karen confirmed a physical confrontation but the investigators were unable to prove all the allegations. “Notwithstanding, it is undeniable that an incident between two of the most senior members of Shelter Afrique’s staff did take place that day and that the incident has since resulted in serious, wide-ranging and ongoing consequences,” said the Kroll report.
The report portrayed Karen as "firm in what she wants” and other employees revealed that she was the only staff member to address Ba in a direct and equal manner.
Both Karen and Ba were described as "ambitious and strong willed individuals who cannot be placed in the same environment without some tensions reemerging."
The two allegedly represented Anglophone and Francophone interests at the Pan-African organisation. The report suggested that the board reinstate Karen as Finance director or appoint her to a new position. The other option was
to negotiate a settlement with Kandie.
The report recommended the suspension of Ba until the legal case against him is concluded or for the board to "discreetly encourage" Ba to resign.