WHO investigator Peter Ben Embarek, who dismissed COVID lab-leak theory, fired for sexual misconduct

A top World Health Organization scientist who led an investigative team that dismissed the COVID lab-leak theory was fired over sexual misconduct allegations.

Prominent COVID investigator Peter Ben Embarek was canned “last year following findings of sexual misconduct against him that were substantiated by investigations, and corresponding disciplinary process,” the WHO statement said in a statement to The Post.

“Due process was followed and his name was entered into the UN ClearCheck screening database to prevent the hiring or re-hiring of perpetrators by UN agencies.”

The cases that led to his ouster were from 2015 and 2017, and the WHO became aware of the accusations in 2018, WHO spokesperson Marcia Poole told Reuters, without providing further details.

Ben Embarek told Reuters the 2017 incident “was settled immediately in a friendly way” and added that he contested the accusations of harassment and was fighting the sanctions.

He declined to comment further because he and WHO were bound by confidentiality agreements until a resolution is reached.

 “I am not aware of any other complaints and no other complaints have ever been brought to my attention,” Ben Embarek said in a message.

“I duly contest the qualification of harassment and I am quite hopeful in the defense of my rights.”

He can appeal his dismissal through the UN internal justice system.

Another allegation of sexual harassment was lodged against Ben Embarek involved a younger colleague, several people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.

WHO was formally alerted to the allegation in 2018, but no action was taken, the people familiar with the case said. WHO said it won’t “impose a solution” if the alleged victim won’t cooperate. 

Ben Embarek has been one of the most outspoken WHO officials concerning the origins of COVID. He represented the organization as the lead investigator during a 2021 trip to China that probed where the deadly disease came from.

The team concluded that COVID-19 most likely originated in bats before the disease was transferred to humans. They also determined a leak from a Chinese lab was “highly unlikely” despite calls from other scientists to further investigate the possibility.

“Our initial findings suggest that the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific targeted research,” Ben Embarek had said of his group’s findings.

“However, the findings suggest that the laboratory incidents hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus to the human population,” he added.

Ben Embarek said political pressure was placed on the team, including from outside China, although nothing in the report has been changed.

He did not explain where the pressure was coming from.

The lab-leak theory has gained momentum with both the FBI and the Energy Department believing the pandemic originated in a Wuhan lab.

“The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said earlier this year. “Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab.” 

With Post wires