Lesotho embassy attaché claims constructive dismissal

Senior diplomats at the Embassy of Lesotho in Dublin have been accused of constructively dismissing the embassy’s former trade and tourism attaché by trying to pressurise her into signing a document claiming she was incompetent.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin yesterday heard claims by Claire Corcoran that she felt she had no option but to resign from her €54,000 a year job as a result of the behaviour of the embassy’s first secretary, Nkhotha Machachamise, and counsellor, Phakiso Ralepoma.

Ms Corcoran, of Red Arches, The Coast, Baldoyle, Co Dublin, said she enjoyed her first three years of working at the embassy where she had acted as “right hand woman” to the then ambassador, Mannete Ramaili.