Global IT company employee, recently terminated, speaks about alleged corruption within the Cork-based corporate headquarters
In a shocking turn of events, Ali Izzy, a former IT sales representative at SolarWinds Software Europe DAC, has accused the company of corruption and unfair dismissal. Izzy testified at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in Cork on Wednesday, claiming that he was dismissed following a second disciplinary process on foot of a complaint by the company's Middle East regional sales director, Abdul Rehman.
According to Izzy, Rehman approached him at the end of August and revealed that he had been offered a discount tire by the distributor. However, Rehman stated that it was not his responsibility to handle such matters. The overture was made on behalf of the distributor by a different former SolarWinds employee who left the company a number of years ago.
Izzy alleges that he was dismissed following a dispute over pricing for a package he was working on. The package was designed to meet requirements posted to the Saudi Arabian government tendering website Etiadd, by the Ministry of Energy there. Izzy stated that the normal range for a distributor discount is 20 to 35%, but Rehman approved an "unnecessary and unjustified" 62% discount tire on technology being licensed to the Saudi government. This decision resulted in a loss of over €500,000 for the company.
Izzy claims that there was a "side deal" between Rehman and the distributor with a "history of corruption and bribery." Rehman, however, defended his actions, stating that discounts on Middle East deals can reach up to 90%.
Izzy was earning €197,062 a year at the time of his dismissal. Since then, he has applied for over 100 jobs but has been unable to find new employment. The company's lawyers confirmed to the tribunal that Izzy had been dismissed due to misconduct. Izzy, however, believes that his dismissal was a result of his refusal to comply with Rehman's request to manipulate prices.
In addition to the allegations of corruption, Izzy also alleged that the same firm had attempted to bribe him with a sum of €10,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Izzy, who still lives in Cork, confirmed to the hearing that he had been reduced to doing food deliveries on Uber and JustEat due to financial hardship but had to stop for medical reasons after a month.
SolarWinds was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange until it was acquired by a private equity firm in February this year. The specific name of the distributor involved in the collaboration with SolarWinds Software Europe DAC, who had a "history of corruption" and was involved in approving a contract-violating €500,000 discount tire related to licensing technology to the Saudi government, was not provided in the available information.
The allegations against SolarWinds come at a time when the technology industry is under increasing scrutiny for its business practices. The company has yet to respond to the allegations made by Izzy.
Read also:
- Show a modicum of decency, truly
- Latest updates for July 31: Introduction of Ather 450S with expanded battery, unveiling of new Tesla dealership, and additional news
- VinFast's debut EV plant in India, Tata Harrier EV distribution starts, next-gen Mahindra Bolero sightings caught on camera
- Tesla-powered residences in Houston create a buyers' frenzy
