National Bank of Kenya (NBK) CEO Wilfred Musau has denied sexually assaulting a female employee.
In a reply filed in court on Wednesday, Mr Musau accuses Ms Samantha Luku of blackmailing him and the bank after failing to secure a promotion.
He says the claims of sexual harassment are not only malicious and scandalous but a scheme to malign him and the bank for decisions that have not gone Ms Luku’s way.
Ms Samantha in a case filed before the Employment and Labour Relations Court has accused Mr Musau of threatening to sack her if she did not give in to his sexual overtures.
The CEO however wonders why Ms Luku took about three months to report the incident, adding that the case has been filed in bad faith.
He has also accused the employee of failing to use internal mechanisms to address her grievances and instead opted to use the media to taint him and the bank.
Ms Luku in the court papers states that on October 25, the CEO allegedly called her and demanded a meeting the following day to allegedly discuss and finalise her pending appointment.
She says the meeting lasted until about 10 p.m when he allegedly pulled his chair close to her, got hold of her and attempted to touch her private parts. She says she jumped out of her seat in a bid to resist his moves.
“He pulled me back and wrestled me to the ground…,” she claims.
However, Mr Musau says that it was her who requested the meeting and out of good faith, he agreed to the meeting at Basil Restaurant in Karen. He says the meeting took place in the company of his friend Mike Mulili, who is known by Ms Luku.
“Knowing Mike Mulili being a friend and an entrepreneur for many years, I agreed to meet her with Mike on the 26th October 2017 since it was the Election Day hence a non-working day,” he says in a sworn statement.
He said she suddenly started accusing the bank management of frustrating her and not issuing her with an appointment letter for the position of business development manager