A Swiss court on Wednesday found a former Nigerian ambassador guilty of raping his housemaid and sentenced him to eight years in prison.Ejoh Abuah, 69, who was tried in absentia by the Geneva cantonal (state) court, will have to serve the sentence if he ever returns to Switzerland.Abuah’s lawyer, Philippe Girod, said his client was unable to attend the trial because of severe hypertension and had stayed home in Nigeria.Under Swiss law, the defendant has five days to challenge the court’s decision. “There will definitely be an appeal,” Girod said.Abuah was posted at Nigeria’s mission to the United Nations’ European offices in Geneva from 1996-1998. He was accused of raping one of his housemaids, a 52-year-old woman from the Philippines, on four separate occasions from 1997-1998.
“The facts are not contested - there has been a sexual relationship,” Girod said. “But to qualify the facts in a legal way, is a different matter.”
The court verdict did not identify the victim.Luis Cid, head of a labour union which helped her get medical treatment and file a complaint in 1998, also declined to identify her, citing personal privacy. The victim claimed that Abuah sexually harassed her regularly, appearing naked before her while his family was out of the house.She alleged that he threatened to revoke her working visa or to denounce her husband, who was living and working in Switzerland illegally, if she reported his behaviour to authorities.
Three other women, who worked in the Nigerian mission also accused Abuah of sexual misbehaviour, after which Nigeria recalled him.Laws, which usually protect diplomats did not apply in this case, because his immunity was lifted automatically after he left the diplomatic corps in 1998.
After a Swiss warrant was issued for his arrest, Abuah was arrested by Dutch authorities in 2003 at the Amsterdam airport and extradited to Geneva. He served two months in preventive custody before being provisionally released
“The facts are not contested - there has been a sexual relationship,” Girod said. “But to qualify the facts in a legal way, is a different matter.”
The court verdict did not identify the victim.Luis Cid, head of a labour union which helped her get medical treatment and file a complaint in 1998, also declined to identify her, citing personal privacy. The victim claimed that Abuah sexually harassed her regularly, appearing naked before her while his family was out of the house.She alleged that he threatened to revoke her working visa or to denounce her husband, who was living and working in Switzerland illegally, if she reported his behaviour to authorities.
Three other women, who worked in the Nigerian mission also accused Abuah of sexual misbehaviour, after which Nigeria recalled him.Laws, which usually protect diplomats did not apply in this case, because his immunity was lifted automatically after he left the diplomatic corps in 1998.
After a Swiss warrant was issued for his arrest, Abuah was arrested by Dutch authorities in 2003 at the Amsterdam airport and extradited to Geneva. He served two months in preventive custody before being provisionally released
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