PG Tips, Lipton and Sainsbury´s tea plantations accused of systematic sex abuse

Systematic sex abuse at major tea plantations in Kenya that supply many of the UK´s top brands has been uncovered by the BBC.

A James Finlay & Company recruiter John Chebochok was said by BBC reporters to have told an undercover colleague to start touching him within minutes of meeting him in a hotel room. He is said to have told her to take her clothes off and “lie down.”

According to the Daily Mail on Monday, February 20, James Finlay & Company supplies PG Tips, Lipton, Tesco and Sainsbury’s with their tea.

The victim, who wore a secret camera, was pinned against a window by Chebochok who can be seen in video saying: “Touch me. Just touch me a bit. Just consent. I’ll give you some money, then I’ll give you a job. I have helped you, help me. We’ll lie down, finish and go. Then you come and work.”

The victim known as Katy can also be heard saying repeatedly: “I haven´t consented.”

At that point the BBC team called her mobile providing her with an excuse to leave, however, she is said to be one of the lucky ones with more than 70 of the women spoken to at the plantations saying that had suffered some form of sexual harassment.

All the victims are employed by either James Finlay or Unilever, the giant producer of foods and other household products.

Victims said: “It is just torture; he wants to sleep with you, then you get a job” with others bemoaning they had no choice as it would mean them losing their jobs.

James Finlay & Company have informed the BBC that it has since suspended Chebochok and had reported him to the police. As a result of the BBC expose the company said that it was also undertaking an internal review to see whether there was “An endemic issue with sexual violence.”

A similar exercise at farms owned by Unilever has resulted in the company saying that it had dismissed those involved and had reported any criminality to the police.

Buyers of PG Tips, Lipton and Sainsbury´s tea will be appealed to hear of the systematic sex abuse that has taken place at plantations in Kenya.

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