Primedia Broadcasting broke its silence over the senior executive member who has resigned from the company after allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour emerged.
Speaking to Presenter Bongani Bingwa on the company’s News and Talk Radio station, 702 on Wednesday morning, CEO Omar Essack confirmed that the company received three complaints from staff members in the sales department last week regarding the behaviour of Mark Jakins at a recent staff function.
Jakins, who was the Chief Commercial Officer, was placed on special leave immediately after the claims emerged before resigning. Primedia Broadcasting launched an investigation that was concluded on Monday.
Essack who admitted to have recruited Jakins to join the company said he had never received any complains about the former executive before.
“Not a single complaint came to me. So, there’s a suggestion that’s circulating on social media that implies that I was informed prior to this particular incident and I have to make it abundantly clear to everyone that it’s the first time I got to know about this incident, this sort of behaviour,” Essack said.
On Tuesday night, social media users questioned the company’s motives for not naming the accused executive.
Why is @PrimediaGroup @BrandPrimedia too afraid to tell us that a senior executive was on special leave & resigned today because of sexual harassment/inappropriate behaviour? Come clean on the reasons. We must take a stand against abuse! @Dept_of_Women @DontLookAwayZA
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 20, 2018
A lot of prominent & famous females work for, or have worked for @PrimediaGroup. They have big social media platforms.
WHY ARE THEY SILENT ABOUT THIS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT STORY.
SPEAK UP!! Condemn Primedia for protecting the perv's identity. Show solidarity with 15 sisters! pic.twitter.com/Buz2n3pDlc
— Phil Mphela (@PhilMphela) February 20, 2018
Essack denied that he was protecting Jakins and that they had any relationship outside of work.
Click below to listen to the full interview: >
According to Essack, Primedia Broadcasting has brought in counsellors to offer support to the victims.