Mota Engil boss attempts rape on Malawian female worker: Victim narrates story

A boss for  Portuguese industrial conglomerate Mota-Engil attempts to sexually attack a Malawian female worker was foiled after she shouted for help on the Thyolo-Makwasa road which the company is currently constructing.

Woman claims Mota Egil’s Dinero sexually abused her but there is inaction from company and law enforcers

The incident happened on last Friday, March 17, 2017 when the boss, only identified as Dinero picked up Violet Pheniya who works as a Flag Woman on the construction site and demanded to have sex with her in his car.

“We drove and when we reached a certain secluded spot, he stopped the car and made me fondle his private parts. He said we should get out of the car and go in the bush to have sex but I shouted for help and told him that I will report him to the office.

“That is when he was so furious with me and threatened me with a knife and drove me and dumped me near a bridge which the company is constructing and I had to get a lift from a Tipper to go to my workplace where he got me,” narrated Pheniya amid sobs.

“I reported to my boss who is Malawian and he advised me to write a report and I believe he took that report to the office because Dinero came again on Monday this time in the company of another Portuguese boss called Jose who accused me of reporting the matter straight to the office instead of him,” said Pheniya whose company number is 70008089.

Jose is said to have pleaded with Pheniya to change her report to indicate that Dinero was about to have an accident and that is why she touched his ‘private parts’ before he stopped the car, a thing which she refused.

“When I refused to change my report he (Jose) was very angry and started beating me with the back of the panga knife calling me a liar,” said Pheniya who said several of her work colleagues witnessed the incident.

She said she reported this incident again to her boss who also told her to write another report of the incident, not knowing that she was inviting the wrath of the two Portuguese bosses Jose and Dinero.

“Today Jose came again and grabbed me by my ears whilst in the group of my friends and started calling me names, saying I was a liar adding that I was mad and I should visit the Mental Hospital in Zomba for help,” said Pheniya.

“He challenged me that Dinero was sent to work in Malawi by Mr. Mota himself the owner of the company and that if anything happens to him and he is kicked out of the country, he will continue working for Mota in Mozambique while I suffer with my children because they will fire me,” added Pheniya amidst uncontrollable sobs.

“As I am speaking to you, I am writing yet another report on what happened today,” she added.

She said she has worked with Mota for almost two years now having worked on the construction of the Chiradzulu road but has been on the Makwasa project for four months.

Pheniya who recently married in December last year and has twin children aged 7, said she told her husband of the ordeal and they are waiting on how the Mota Engil top bosses will deal with the issue.

Insiders at Mota Engil confided in Nyasa Times that the top bosses are trying to play down the issue by ignoring it.

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Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
6 years ago

Rape cases in Indian occur frequently. In rural India, women go to the toilet outdoors and that is when they encounter danger. But defecation outside is normal for most Indian villagers. They manage the practice in the face of danger. The fields are the only toilet most of them have ever known. For instance in 2015 in the state of Uttar Pradesh two girls were ambushed, gang-raped and hanged from a tree. In May 2013 in Bihar, a senior police official claimed 400 rape cases were recorded. Just last year, a Catholic nun was raped. All these stories were widely… Read more »

wa ku Malawi
wa ku Malawi
6 years ago

All the organisations are not acting on this issue but what mota has done on this it has just chesed the two of them (Portuges) out of the project but we don’t know where they have gone whether out of the country or not

..igwe
..igwe
6 years ago

…this is a Police case

Yahya Jammeh
6 years ago

If what Violet is alleging is true after through investigation by the responsible authorities, the right punishment is to deport the Mota Engil man no matter whether he is connected to top dogs in Malawi or regardless of the top dogs benefiting from Mota Engil in one way or the other. My concern is that if the case goes to court, Mota Engil will hire a good Lawyer who will embarrass a woman in court when she will not be able to have legal representation and finally the case will go in favour of the alleged rapist. I will rule… Read more »

malawianokwiya
malawianokwiya
6 years ago

This is a case straight for the police, Malawi Human Rights Commission, and of course, the DPP.

Arrest then deportation is the answer here.

Rift Valley
Rift Valley
6 years ago

Where are A Kweni Kaliati, Kaliya, Trapence, Mkwezalamba, Matewere and all those Women Empowerment advocates? All we are asking is for this Mota Engil guy to be taken to task. We should not allow our women to be freely molested and let such acts pass. A Mwenyenso amatenga a zimayi ngati pa playground

Davie WOKWIYA NAYO MOTA

These Portuguese are morons. All these things are happening because of corrupt Minister of Labour – Henry Mussa. Alot of these people so called expatriates at mota-engil were not permitted to work in the country. if you check their passports they are clearly indicated that no job opportunity but they end up grabbing our jobs. If you go to their head office, you will cry. Our brothers there are being paid 20 days a month and having housing allowance below two hundred kwacha for a month, yes K200 something that cant even be enough for a toilet. I know Henry… Read more »

FERNANDES ANTONIO SILVIA
FERNANDES ANTONIO SILVIA
6 years ago

YOU ARE RIGHT BROTHER. MOTA-ENGIL IS SO CORRUPTED

HENRY MUSSSA GOES THERE TO COLLECT CASH. THE BOSSES ARE NOT QUALIFIED.

EMPLOYEES ONLY GET A 20DAYS PAYMENT WHILE THE BOSSES ARE ENJOYING. THERE ARE NO LOANS AND HOUSING ALLOWANCES AT MOTA-NGIL.
IF SOMEONE CAN HELP, PLEASE DO SO.

Basi
Basi
6 years ago

Zilizonse ACB? This is clearly a sexual harrasment in the work place matter. There are relevant institutions to handle this not ACB

Davie
6 years ago

These portuguese are morons! All these are happening because of our corrupt Minister of Labour – Henry Mussa. If you check passports for these so called expatriates of mota-engil you will find that they were indicated no job opportunity or not allowed to work, that means they came as visitors but they end up grabbing positions in the country. The company looks big but they are exploiting our fellow brothers and sisters who are employed there. if you go and see what its employees are receiving at their Head Office you will cry. People out there are receiving peanuts and… Read more »

Mulopwana
6 years ago
Reply to  Davie

Zodiak, Nyasa Times and Times Group go and let out these dirty acts of mota-engil. yes it is abig company koma isazunze anthu choncho. mpaka k200 housing allowance? anthu awowo amagona patchire kuti? aikeni poyera apwitikizi amenewa mwina amabungwe angalowerelepo. Nthawi inayake Hon Kamplepo ananena kuti ali ndi umboni wa ma dirty acts of this company, i think this is the tiime to fight and show these dirty portuguese that we own this land. I heard that they are also good at tax evasion. Lets not watch this my fellow malawians.

Zinenani Zoona
Zinenani Zoona
6 years ago

Guys this is Mota Engil. Not an ordinary contractor. Bwana aakulu (mulupara) ali mommu, ma bwana ambiri ali mommu, Hiwa of Roads ali mommu. Don’t touch the tail of a tiger.

isaac kaudzu
isaac kaudzu
6 years ago

zadziwika kuti mabwana amenenso sinzika za kuno ku MALAWI achitaizi kwa mzimai wakuno kwathu, tieni nkhanii tisaipondereze. ndibwino kuchitapo kanthu kuti enanso amene akuchita mkhalidwe otere atengere phunziro. alip[o ambiri oterewa ngakhalenso mabwana akonkuno ku MALAWI enanso amapanga nao zimenezi.

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