London: The World Health Organisation's top director in the Western Pacific, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, has been indefinitely removed from his post, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Associated Press.
Kasai's removal comes months after an AP investigation revealed that dozens of staffers accused him of racist, abusive and unethical behaviour that undermined the U.N. agency's efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic in Asia. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told staff in the Western Pacific in an email on Friday that Kasai was on leave without elaborating further.
Tedros said Deputy Director-General, Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, would be arriving Tuesday in Manila, WHO's regional headquarters, to ensure business continuity.
Two senior WHO officials who asked not to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to the press, said Kasai had been put on extended administrative leave after internal investigators substantiated some of the misconduct complaints.
In a statement, WHO said it was unknown how long Kasai would be away. The U.N. health agency said the investigation into him was continuing and that it was believed to be the first time a regional director had been relieved of their duties. Kasai did not respond to requests for comment but previously denied he used racist language or acted unprofessionally.
In January, the AP reported that more than 30 unidentified staffers sent a confidential complaint to senior WHO leadership and members of the organisation's Executive Board, alleging that Kasai had created a toxic atmosphere in WHO's offices across the Western Pacific.