HAIL — A public sector employee has accused his manager of meddling in his private affairs and blackmailing him over a family matter.
Eyad Al-Enizi said he was involved in a court case over a family issue and the judge sentenced him to a month and a half in prison.
“I was planning to report the judge who handled my case for reasons that I don’t want to disclose but my manager suddenly interfered and threatened to fire me from my job if I do not accept the sentence. I find this strange because my manager is no way related to the case at hand,” said Al-Enizi.
He added that he was afraid of losing his job although he has no record of misbehavior or negligence at his job.
“There is no reason for me to lose my job as I do not have any incriminating accounts or reasons to be fired at all. One day I came to work and my manager called me into his office, saying if I report the judge to the Supreme Judicial Council or the marriage officiator of the defendant in my case, he will fire me,” said Al-Enizi.
He also said he lodged a complaint against his manager because he had no right to interfere in his personal affairs.
“I don’t understand what does my manager at work have to do with this complicated and private lawsuit I am dealing with. I had a problem with a marriage officiator and I lodged a complaint against him. The Committee of Marriage Officiators ruled in my favor after finding him guilty,” said Al-Enizi.
He said the marriage officiator was suspended from work for a month, which enticed him to take matters into court as retaliation.
“The court ruled in his favor and sentenced me to a month and a half in prison. I filed an appeal and the Court of Appeals is still looking into the case. The marriage officiator contacted the Ministry of Labor saying I should be serving time in prison and not working,” said Al-Enizi. He said the ministry had called him for questioning.
“I explained to them that the case is in the Court of Appeals and a final verdict is yet to be issued. The ministry was very understanding and ordered all directorates not to interfere with the case as it is not linked to my work and it is a family matter,” said Al-Enizi.
He added his manager did not drop the case and was angry that he had not referred to him first when explaining the case but had gone straight to the head office of the ministry.
“He called me into his office and threatened me to either withdraw the lawsuit or he will fire me. I explained to him that the case is a private family matter that had nothing to do with my work and that I have the right to appeal,” said Al-Enizi.
He said he attended a court hearing a week later and his manager called him into his office again to repeat the threat.
