Janet Jackson’s Husband Accused of Firing Employee for Reporting Rape
Billionaire Wissam Al Mana, husband of famous pop star Janet Jackson, signed the letter of termination for Marte Dalelv (24) after she reported being raped in Dubai. The 6th of March, this year Dalelv reported a colleague for rape while on a business trip in Dubai. Earlier this week, Dalelv was sentenced to 16 months in prison after being convicted for having extramarital sex, drinking alcohol without permission, and giving false statement to the police.
A spokesman for the company says in a statement that the company has been by her side through the initial investigation.
"Only when Ms. Dalelv declined to have positive and constructive discussions about her employment status, and ceased communication with her employer, was the company forced to end our relationship with her. The decision had nothing to do with the rape allegation, and unfortunately neither Ms. Dalelv nor her attorneys have chosen to contact the company to discuss her employment status."
However, 'Norwegian publication VG' claims to have obtained a copy of the letter Dalelv received informing her of her termination, which reads:
Dear Ms. Dalelv,
This is to inform you that we are suspending your employment effective immediately, due to unacceptable and improper behaviour during your business trip to Dubai.
This decision is based on the incident report of 6th March 2013 issued by the Police Authorities in Dubai.
As you know, the above occurrence of your gross misconduct on the job is in direct violation of the Company's police.
This report is placed in your personnel file and pending action to be decided by the senior management.
Dalelv was given a medical exam, but then she was put in jail for four days with no explanation as to why. A representative from the Norwegian embassy finally came to get her. At the time of her release, she was charged with sex outside marriage and public consumption of alcohol. Both are against the law in the United Arab Emirates.
She says that subsequently, her manager from the Al Mana Company told her to say the intercourse was voluntary and then the whole issue would go away. Dalelv took the advice at one of the hearings, saying the sex was voluntary and she was then charged with making a false statement.
"That was my biggest regret," she tells 'CNN'. "because it wasn't voluntary. I just thought it would all go away."
A representative for Al Mana Interiors tells' CNN' that she was not advised by her manager to say that the sex was consensual but rather by a police officer, who told her in Arabic and it was translated into English by her manager. Dalelv says that a month after the rape, while she has been forced to stay in Dubai at the Norwegian embassy, she was fired from Al Mana Interiors.
She is now appealing her 16 month sentence for the charges levied against her. The accused, a married Sudanese man, was charged with public intoxication and having sex outside of marriage and was sentenced to 13 months.