Housekeeper 'unsure over publicity'

Sep 25 2009

Baroness Scotland's former housekeeper has yet to decide whether or not to disclose details of her employment, her spokesman said.

Publicity guru Max Clifford has been holding talks with Tongan Loloahi Tapui, 27, and Serbian-born solicitor Alexander Zivancevic, 40, the man she claims is her husband.

He said the pair approached him for "advice and guidance" after unflattering media reports about their marriage.

Mr Clifford said: "Everyone wants to know if they're going to go public, but they haven't made up their minds. They've made it very clear lots of things have been said that aren't true. We just have to wait and see what they decide."

Ms Tapui and Mr Zivancevic were arrested by UK Border Agency officers in Chiswick, south west London, on Wednesday. They were questioned over alleged immigration offences and released on bail until October, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

Mr Clifford said: "The whole thing has been very upsetting for Lolo and for Alex. There have been some pretty dreadful things written about their relationship."

He said he did not know details of how Ms Tapui came to be working for the Attorney General when she had no legal right to do so, adding: "There are only three people that do know - Baroness Scotland and Lolo and Alex."

When asked if Ms Tapui had been in contact with her former employer since the scandal broke, Mr Clifford replied: "I don't know. What I do know is that she speaks very highly of Baroness Scotland and seems to be very fond of her."

Earlier this week, Lady Scotland was fined £5,000 for employing a housekeeper with no right to work in the UK.

She has held on to her job despite the protest resignation of her parliamentary private secretary, Stephen Hesford, MP for Wirral West.