A London banker has been jailed for lying about being sexually harassed by a female manager.
Damilare Ajao, who worked at Commerzbank in 2019, made false claims against his former boss, identified as “Q.”
He alleged that she flirted with him, commented on his body, and tried to touch his Gucci belt.
After being fired from the bank’s client life cycle team, Ajao took the case to an employment tribunal.
Judge Anthony Snelson dismissed the allegations, calling them false and largely fabricated.
Commerzbank then took the matter to the High Court, where Ajao was found guilty of serious contempt of court.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay £150,000 towards the bank’s legal fees.
Justice Martin Spencer described Ajao’s lies as a “wicked assault” on his manager’s reputation.
Ajao had claimed the manager made advances toward him after he rejected her supposed flirtations.
He insisted she said, “I fancy you,” and made repeated comments about his shirt revealing his skin.
But Judge Snelson ruled that none of those events occurred, calling his claims completely unfounded.
He said there was no conduct by “Q” that could amount to harassment in any form.
In court, Ajao denied lying, saying it was his “perception” that he had been harassed.
However, Justice Spencer found his testimony full of inconsistencies and deliberate falsehoods.
He praised the manager’s honesty, saying her evidence was credible and consistent.
The judge said Ajao’s lies were part of a calculated plan to deceive the court for financial gain.
“These false claims were malicious and sustained over time,” Justice Spencer declared.
Ajao, a father of two from Kent, will serve at least eight months before possible early release.
The case has drawn attention as a rare example of a false harassment claim leading to jail time.
