Peter Ben Ebarek, Principal Investigator World Health Organization For COVID-19was fired for sexual harassment.

The WHO confirmed to the Financial Times that Ebarek was removed in 2022 following two allegations of sexual harassment that were confirmed following an internal investigation. The agency also said there were other charges against the scientist that could not be “investigated because the alleged victims refused to participate in the process.”

Ebarek became widely known in 2021 when he led a team of scientists on an expedition to Wuhan, China, where Covid-19 is believed to have originated. Initially, a WHO scientist ruled out the possibility of a virus leak from a laboratory in a Chinese city.

“The revelation of his dismissal heightens concerns about the WHO work culture and how employees deal with wrongdoing,” the FT comments.

This incident came several years after the discovery of rape and repeated sexual harassment by doctors, senior WHO officials, including local staff and foreigners, against dozens of women in northern Congo.

At the time, the head of the organization, Tedros Adhanom, apologized to the victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about what the people who were hired by the WHO to serve and protect you have done to you,” he said, and continued, “I’m sorry about the continued suffering that these events have caused you. I’m sorry that you had to relive their conversation with the committee about your experience. Thank you for your courage to do this. What happened to you shouldn’t happen to anyone. It’s unforgivable.”

In 2021, the WHO adopted a zero tolerance strategy and began publishing data on sexual violence online. Over the past two quarters, seven WHO employees have been fired for sexual harassment.