"Since this weekend, I have been the victim of a very violent attack, on a personal level. I am thinking of my children, who had a very bad time this weekend when they saw their mother accused of harassment", said she said, obviously moved, on Radio J.
It's "very hard, very violent, the violence is unheard of for my children, but on the bottom of things I am serene", she said.
"What is happening today are extremely malicious leaks, probably to destabilize me. Defamation is characterized. If I knew who is at the origin of the leaks, I would file a complaint, probably", declared the secretary of Status, in office since July 2020.
"What is happening is an internal investigation to observe the firm's human resources. It is not a judicial investigation, it is not a preliminary investigation," she argued.
"All the members of my cabinet have been heard, (...) the secretaries, the drivers, the advisers, the minister", she said, specifying that a report would be made "in a few weeks".
"This report is not intended to be made public. Me, I would not mind making it public, I am quite calm," she added.
"Sometimes, in the collaboration, it malfunctions, it is possible that we put an end to a collaboration. That's it, and nothing more. Everything went well in benevolence", she assured .
Five sources told AFP on Saturday that Ms. Elimas was the subject of an administrative investigation.
Several of these sources specified that she was accused of acts of “harassment” or even “mistreatment” of employees.
All preferred to remain anonymous.
Requested on Saturday, the Ministry of National Education confirmed that an administrative investigation was underway "on the human resources functioning of Mrs. Elimas' cabinet".
© 2022 AFP