Shelter Afrique's Managing Director Alassane Ba (right) flanked with Housing minister Soita Shitanda before ringing a bell to initiate shelter Afrique's 2.5 billion shillings bond at the Nairobi bourse on September 20, 2011. Photo/File
Shelter Afrique has begun the search for new CEO and head of finance amid a diplomatic storm over an alleged assault case involving the occupant of the two offices.
The housing financier appointed an independent investigator in July following claims that managing director Alassane Ba allegedly assaulted finance director Karen Kandie — in a spat that is presently in court.
The firm has placed notices seeking a new CEO and finance director, but the Business Daily failed to establish whether the executive search is linked to the assault.
“The institution would like to fill the position of managing director based at the headquarters in Nairobi,” reads part of the job notice that also invited applications for the job of finance director.
The assault claims have kicked off a diplomatic storm after Shelter Afrique faulted Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi and Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko for calling for the arrest of Mr Ba.
The financier reckons that Mr Ba enjoys diplomatic immunity that protects him from arrest and prosecution.
Mr Ba is alleged to have assaulted Ms Kandie in his office on June 28, last year sparking investigations by its board and the police.
In her statement to the police, Ms Kandie claimed that Mr Ba physically assaulted her, causing her bruises to her limbs, when she went to consult him regarding her end of year performance appraisals.
She was sent on leave in the wake of the controversy as the board promised to investigate the matter, culminating in the hiring of an independent consultant on July 27 to look into the matter. The investigator was to report back the findings by November.
Police at Capital Hill Station in Nairobi had earlier questioned Mr Ba, a Mauritanian, but they could not detain or charge him since he was said to enjoy diplomatic immunity.
Top government officials including Mr Tobiko called for the arrest of Mr Ba who moved to court and obtained orders stopping his arrest.
This came after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised that Mr Ba’s diplomatic immunity could not stand in cases of assault and other criminal offences.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga also sought to have Mr Ba’s diplomatic immunity revoked or have him face the law over assault claims.
Shelter Afrique had expressed displeasure over the handling of the matter. It argued that Mr Ba had been accused of wrong doing before the conclusion of investigations.
It said that the complaints were connected to a secret recording of Mr Ba during Ms Kandie’s performance review, after which he demanded that the recording equipment be surrendered to his office.
“As a senior employee of Shelter Afrique, Mr Ba enjoys all rights and immunities set out in Clause 23 of the host country agreement,” Shelter Afrique wrote in a letter to the Foreign Affairs PS who had asked former Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to arrest Mr Ba.
Mr Ba took office on July 1, 2009, joining Shelter Afrique from African Development Bank where he had worked for 18 years.
Ms Kandie, a Kenyan, was appointed finance director of Shelter Afrique in December 2009. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Murdoch University (Australia) and has more than 20 years experience in the financial services sector.
