Tesco sued by boss it fired over accounts scandal
FORMER Tesco commercial director Kevin Grace, sacked over a £246million accounting scandal, is suing the firm for more than £600,000.
He lost his job after it emerged that Tesco had misreported profits in 2014. The dismissal letter accused him of ‘serious negligence’ and ‘gross misconduct’. Grace has always insisted he was not responsible for the debacle.
Now he is suing Tesco for loss of his £605,000 salary and benefits. His lawyers say his wrongful dismissal claim totals £635,807, plus interest, according to a writ filed at the High Court. In November 2014, a month after the scandal broke, Grace was given four days’ written notice in a letter which accused him of ‘remaining silent’ about accounting issues and being ‘culpable to a high degree’. But Grace’s representatives claim in the writ the allegations were ‘misconceived’ and his dismissal breached Tesco’s own disciplinary procedures.
It says he ‘could not reasonably be held culpable’ and had ‘responded appropriately’ when the scandal broke.
Carl Rogberg, former finance director of Tesco UK; John Scouler, excommercial director for food; and Chris Bush, former managing director of Tesco UK, have all been charged with fraud by abuse of position and false accounting.
It was reported last year that the Serious Fraud Office had told Grace he would not face fraud charges.
Tesco said: ‘We are aware of this case and intend to strongly defend it.’