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.

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.