A large company operating in the Polish market, specialising in environmental projects for companies and individuals, discovered the actions of dishonest employees that led to the loss of two key projects. The company, despite the costs incurred to date, was unable to complete these projects and make a profit from them, resulting in the costs being written off as losses. The company’s management believed that the projects were doomed to failure and would never be completed.
Circumstances leading to the failure of projects
A number of factors contributed to the failure of the projects, including a change in the company’s regulations, the departure of several key employees, the financial collapse of one of the subcontractors and opposition from the local community. Despite these problems, the board did not see any intentional action by third parties or company employees.
Unexpected developments
After some time, rumours began to reach the company’s management that both projects had been taken over by an unknown company and were close to completion. In order to verify this information, one of the company’s employees visited the sites of the projects. On site, he found that construction was indeed underway and the employees indicated the name of their employer. Despite learning the name of the new company, the management was unable to link it to any known individuals or entities.
Revealing the truth
Surprised by the developments and motivated by ambition, the CEO commissioned a detailed investigation. After reviewing the documentation of the projects, the analysts began the painstaking process of gathering information. It quickly became apparent that the main contractor for the projects was a company whose informal owners were three men – all former employees of the company who had previously been directly involved in the projects.
Non-compete violations and manipulation
In spite of their non-compete obligations, the men in question set up their own company on persons directly related to them, so-called ‘poles’, while they were still employed by the client company. They were the ones who oversaw the implementation of projects that ‘failed’ under their management, exposing the company to enormous costs in terms of initial start-up, purchase of materials, obtaining documentation, and fees for subcontractors and hired people. New projects were carried out by fictitious companies registered to the families of former employees.
Evidence of fraudulent activities
In order to document the involvement of the three men in the projects, monitoring of the construction sites and their private locations was initiated. After a few days, it was confirmed that the managers working on the projects regularly met with the former company employees and reported back to them on the progress of the work. This evidence was detailed in the detective report, which showed a direct professional relationship between the individuals in question. In addition, analysis of company documents revealed that the actual beneficiaries of the projects turned out to be former company employees.
Legal consequences
The three former employees are now facing charges not only for breaching the non-compete, but also for misappropriation of company assets and deliberate mismanagement, which led to serious financial losses for their former employer.
Summary – Actions of rogue employees
This case demonstrates the importance of adhering to internal security rules and monitoring potential threats related to competitive activities of former employees. Dishonest activities can lead to significant financial losses and damage to the company’s reputation. Proper risk management and a rapid response to whistleblowing are key to protecting the interests of the company and ensuring its stability in the market. In the case described, by investigating and obtaining the necessary evidence, the company was able to take appropriate legal action against the dishonest former employees.
Author: Detective
*Client data has been anonymised prior to publication.
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