黑洞社区

A former top Laing O鈥橰ourke executive who claimed the contractor cheated the NHS out of cash has lost his unfair dismissal case.

Neels Kriek, former managing director of Integrated Solutions at Laing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 European business operations, had claimed he was laid off after raising concerns over the company鈥檚 business practices, including withholding cost savings from the NHS鈥� Procure 21 team. On Tuesday, a court in Ashford, Kent, ruled against him.

Laing O鈥橰ourke welcomed the decision, saying: 鈥淟aing O鈥橰ourke vigorously defended this claim, which it considered to have been brought in bad faith to pressurise [Laing O鈥橰ourke] to consider an out-of-court settlement.

鈥淭hat claim was struck out by the tribunal on the second day of the hearing on the basis that it found Mr Kriek did not make any 鈥檞histleblowing鈥� disclosures. Mr Kriek later withdrew the underlying allegations.鈥�

Kriek refused to comment until the hearing鈥檚 written decision in August.

A source close to Laing O鈥橰ourke said the result would deter others from challenging Ray O鈥橰ourke over redundancies and dismissals. 鈥淗e has offloaded more than 30 senior people in the past few months, but Kriek was the only one who took him on. The decision means there鈥檚 little chance anyone else will have a go.鈥�

Last month 黑洞社区 reported that global staff levels at Laing O鈥橰ourke had fallen from 35,753 to about 20,000 as a result of the downturn, in particular in the Middle East.

黑洞社区 understands that Kriek was on a package of about 拢400,000 and could have been in line for a 拢1m-plus payout, although Kriek denies he was claiming that amount.

One source familiar with the case added: 鈥淕oing down the whistleblower route rather than wrongful dismissal was a higher stakes approach legally, which in hindsight he might regret.鈥�