Former British ambassador to Zimbabwe has denied claims she adopted a child by bribing Tourism Minister Mupfumira. Ms Catriona Laing...
Former British ambassador to Zimbabwe has denied claims she
adopted a child by bribing Tourism
Minister Mupfumira.
Ms Catriona Laing adopted daughter Anya, three, from a children’s
home in 2017. Anya went with her when
she took over as ambassador to Nigeria last year.
Social services will investigate amid claims Anya’s
Zimbabwean family wants her back.
Ms Laing’s spokesman told The Sun : “These allegations are
categorically untrue. All the proper legal processes were followed and no money
was paid.”
A source said: “It’s ridiculous to suggest a British
ambassador would pay a bribe to adopt a child. No money changed hands and these
claims are absolute nonsense. Rules were followed so carefully that the
adoption actually took much longer to complete - two years in fact.
“Anya is now living happily with the ambassador and her
husband in the Nigerian capital, Abuja and knew nothing of these allegations
until recently. There’s no question of Anya being returned to Zimbabwe — this
is political mischief-making.”
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