He should have served until August of 2010, but British High Commissioner John Yapp was hastily sent home in June under suspicious circumstances. Now, the details of his dismissal have been revealed by a British newspaper. According to The Mail On Sunday, the 57 year old Yapp went where he shouldn’t have with a woman of high society.
The paper alleges that it happened at a charity event at the House of Culture in April. The paper reports Yapp was drunk, touched Denise Courtenay’s backside and then made a joke about how the full moon sexually excites him. Courtenay is a senior counsel and the wife of PUP National Campaign Manager and Former Foreign Minister, Eamon Courtenay. Outraged, the paper reports that Courtenay made a formal complaint to the British Foreign Office, which sent a former ambassador to investigate.
As a result of the investigation, the British paper reports that Yapp, a career diplomat with 40 years in the foreign service, is facing dismissal. Yapp has denied wrongdoing. Both Mr. and Mrs. Courtenay are on vacation in Europe and were unavailable for comment. And while it provides great grist for local gossip, the story has been attracting international attention as well – making headlines in the British press and on the internet for two weeks now.
