Confusion surrounds an investigation meant to be transparent about claims a labour ministry employee used his company to forge diplomas to obtain work visas.
A worker brought the case to the attention of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs last week. He said the company tricked him into resigning and then banned him after he refused to hand over his diplomas.
He said his supervisor had asked him repeatedly to hand over his diploma. The worker suspected the documents were used to make forgeries for other work visas and so he refused.
Once, he said, he saw a colleague photocopying a matriculation certificate with another name pasted on it. The worker's relations with his supervisor soured and on March 6 he said his supervisor told him if he resigned he would not be banned. He signed a resignation letter, but was still banned.
Last week, an official at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs promised the case would be looked into.
Days later, an official at the minister's office confirmed the case had been referred to the ministry's chief legal adviser for investigation. The official said the legal adviser would make recommendations to Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.
The corruption claims came after Dr Al Ka'abi issued a circular asking ministry employees to declare their business interests.
On March 30, the worker returned to the minister's office after he was told the legal adviser would update his case that day. He was referred to Jasem Al Bannai, deputy director of the Labour Relations Department. Officials refused to believe the man had been sent there.
They sent him instead to the legal researcher, who had followed his case. He said the worker's case was over because he had willingly signed his resignation letter, leading to a labour ministry ban.
"I'm not against him, I'm just doing my job," he said.
When the researcher was asked about the investigation into forgery allegations at the worker's former company, he said it was a matter for the police.
"The legal affairs department does not deal with these issues," he said.
The worker returned to the minister's office to tell the secretary he was not allowed to see Al Bannai.
The secretary told an office assistant to accompany the worker to Al Bannai's office, along with a document requesting an investigation into his claims.
Al Bannai promised an investigation would be made into the reasons behind the worker's ban and the forgery claims. He said the minister would take over any investigation of forgery claims, not his department.
The worker returned to the minister's office for confirmation. There, the secretary said Al Bannai's department would be following up the investigation, not the minister.
Gulf News repeatedly called the chief legal adviser, Dr Saddiq Abdul Baqi, to confirm who in the ministry would conduct the investigation, but no one returned the calls.
Gulf News
