Continued from Linkedin:
All this began when I was asked by Nick Fordham, MD of Alain Charles Publishing, to compile a report on issues arising from several negative Glassdoor reviews. During the compiling of the report other deeply concerning matters were brought to my attention by several members of staff. These concerned bullying, threatening behaviour, intimidation, and inappropriate behaviour. It also contained several serious breaches of the company handbook and other issues which clearly needed further investigation.
My position in the company became untenable when it became apparent that the findings in my report were not going to be properly investigated by the company and was being covered up. I was left with no option but to leave my position. The tribunal was brought by me after receiving strong legal advice.
During this period whistle-blowers’ names had been leaked and individuals forced from the company, defamatory statements made about me and colleagues. In their judgement, the tribunal found that the Respondent was, ‘Willing to change the narrative to suit his own purpose, especially when the people involved are vulnerable or fearful that they may lose their job’.
It was found the Respondent’s defence was based around falsehoods that were vastly different from statement to testimony, which quickly fell apart under legal questioning. He stated under oath that he has absolutely no dealings whatsoever in the management or day-to-day running of the Indian office or does he have any influence over decisions being made there.
He submitted into disclosure the day before the remedy hearing two WhatsApp messages, that my solicitor had already put into disclosure several months earlier. Shockingly there was even a fabricated statement that was proven to be false when my counsel produced the original message stream.
As was stated in my previous post the tribunal went on for a full five days, a further two days in April with the judgement being made in May. The ruling was made public on the 22nd of June and ACP lost with a unanimous decision against them.
Words used by the tribunal about Nick Fordham, which can be seen in the legal judgement, were that he was unreliable, dishonest, not credible, condescending, improbable and fantasy.
Throughout the tribunal It was his own words and actions that caused the damage to himself and the company, so to blame innocent people either still with the company or not, is simply breath-taking. All this from the man who, when it was put to him by Council that he was making things up as he went along said, ‘Yes I am a bit’.
As you will have seen, the judgement made mention of a telephone call between me and the HR witness once employed by Nick Fordham, Nicola Orr. It was found that statements she made about me supposedly arising from this call were false, baseless, and unfounded. It was found she had shredded and disposed of documents even though she knew this was going to tribunal. It was supported in the evidence given and the statement of Nick Fordham. Fortunately, I had been able to record the actual conversation, which was presented in evidence, clearly exposing the false statements levelled at me. He then attacked his star witness and blamed her.
The transcribe is available to anyone who would like to read it.
In my Remedy Hearing statement, I requested the tribunal enforce the disclosure rule, the final paragraph in the statement reads “I am also very concerned that having exposed my vulnerabilities in this remedy statement, Mr Fordham will use this against me. The industry in which I operate is quite a “small world” and I am genuinely fearful that he will use the information I have shared with the tribunal, against me.”
Unfortunately, evidence has been given to me that he has spoken about disclosure documentation and details about my own personal health to people in the company and is now in the business domain.
I have kept my silence throughout the past 18 months through baseless and unfounded accusations, threats, and recent online trolling and I am not going to tolerate these attacks or this form of defamation.
While we are fortunate to live in an era of free speech, we remain governed by laws and the spreading of fabricated allegations and lies used to bully, threaten, or intimidate need not go without punishment.
Holding the position of director does not give a free pass to say what they want about others and act with impunity. I now have my legal representatives looking at taking further legal steps against specific individuals around this case.
Finally: It was not the “slam dunk” Nick Fordham thought it would be, him and his expert witness Nicola Orr tried to deceive a legal tribunal by concocting a story that did not pass the sniff test and they got caught. They both blamed each other.
Once again, I urge anybody with interest to read through the legal judgement.
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