A north-east businessman has been served with legal papers after failing to pay a former employee £16,000 in compensation, more than a year after he was ordered to by a judge.
Peter Slamaker, who runs Aberdeen energy services firm Integrity and Compliance Management (ICM), was taken to an employment tribunal last year.
The managing director, who lives in Peterhead, was accused of withholding wages and illegally deducting around £1,100 from Abbie Elmegirab’s pay packet.
Mr Elmegirab resigned over the matter and was given Jobseeker’s Allowance while he looked for new employment.
At a tribunal last April, employment judge Amanda Jones ruled that he had been unfairly dismissed from his job at ICM.
The following month she ordered Mr Slamaker to hand back the wages he had deducted, and to pay Mr Elmegirab more than £12,000 in compensation.
He was also told to give nearly £3,000 to the Department for Work and Pensions to repay the benefits his former employee had received after his resignation.
But more than a year on, Mr Elmegirab is yet to receive any money – despite sheriff officers personally handing him a legal document demanding he pays up at the end of February.
As interest has been added since the judgement in May 2018, the businessman now owes more than £16,300.
Last night, Mr Elmegirab accused his former employer of having “no respect” for the legal system.
He said: “He is avoiding the law of the land – and my family and I are suffering from his bad dealing and bad behaviour.
“They are breaking the good system of this good country by running away from the courts.”
Mr Slamaker declined to comment when approached by the Press and Journal at his home in Peterhead.
Last night Mr Slamaker acknowledged that Mr Elmegirab had previously worked for him.
He said: “We are currently reviewing matters following the determination of the case.
“As we would consider it to be current, we are unable to provide additional comment at this time.”