United States Ambassador James Entwistle is expected to testify before the House of Representatives panel probing the allegation of sexual misconduct against three lawmakers on Thursday. The lawmakers- Mohammed Garba Gololo, Samuel Ikon, and Mark Gbillah – were accused of sexual impropriety while on a training programme in Cleveland, Ohio, United States between April 7 and 13. The ambassador blew the lid on the scandal in a June 9 letter to Speaker Yakubu Dogara. He said the members brought disrepute to the parliament by soliciting for sex from prostitutes and one of them grabbed a hotel housekeeper in a bid to rape her.
While Dogara insisted that unless evidence is provided, the onus of proof is with those making the allegations as the lawmakers are legally presumed innocent. On June 21, the House during plenary mandated its joint committees to investigate the allegations. The committees are: Ethics and Privileges, and Foreign Affairs. The invitation for the Ambassador to appear before the committee today was moved till Thursday on the request of the embassy.
The Speaker said no evidence had been forwarded to his Office apart from the letter, and that there can be no conviction without a trial.
