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Salesman who alleged 'corruption' and 'crazy' discount in Saudi deal loses penalisation case
Summary
A software salesman who was dismissed from his high-paying job and later resorted to fast food deliveries has lost his case against his former employer, Solarwinds Software Europe DAC, over alleged retaliation for reporting corruption. Ali Izzy was fired in 2024 after revoking a €500,000 discount on a software deal with the Saudi Arabian government, which he claimed was part of a corrupt side deal. His complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 were dismissed by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The tribunal found that while Izzy had a reasonable belief in wrongdoing, his actions in blocking the deal constituted misconduct, justifying his dismissal. Izzy alleged that his former boss, Abdul Rehman, had a history of corruption and had attempted to bribe him. However, Rehman denied these claims, and the WRC did not rule on the truth of Izzy's allegations. The tribunal concluded that Izzy's actions were not protected under whistleblower laws and that his dismissal was not retaliatory.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Salesman who alleged 'corruption' and 'crazy' discount in Saudi deal loses penalisation case. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- October 2023 Other
- 2026-02-17 Publication
Why: Questioned on his efforts to find new work, he told the tribunal his reputation had been "ruined" because of his termination from SolarWinds, and despite making "more than 100" job applications he was still jobless at the time of the hearings last Autumn. CNI source report
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