ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. judge has denied a motion by ArmorGroup and Wackenhut to dismiss a False Claims Act lawsuit over alleged fraudulent practices in Afghanistan.
The whistle-blower lawsuit was brought against ArmorGroup North America, ArmorGroup International and Wackenhut Services Inc., by James Gordon, AGNA's former director of operations.
Gordon says ArmorGroup retaliated against him after disclosing -- internally and to the U.S. State Department -- that irregularities were being committed in the performance of security contracts at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and at the U.S. Naval base in Bahrain.
In his opinion last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Cacheris said, "Defendants offer no facts to dispute that Defendants ... began to try to constructively discharge [Mr. Gordon] by making [his] working conditions intolerable," Gordon's attorneys reported.
The complaint against the companies and Cornelius Medley, the guard force's commander at the time, said Gordon investigated and tried to stop a number of violations, including:
-- Severe understaffing of the guard force necessary to protect the U.S. Embassy;
-- Allowing AGNA managers and employees to frequent brothels notorious for housing trafficked women in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act;
-- Endangering the safety of the guard force during transport to and from the embassy by attempting to substitute company-owned subpar, refurbished vehicles from Iraq rather than purchasing armored escort vehicles as promised to the State Department;
-- Knowingly using funds to procure cheap counterfeit goods from a company in Lebanon owned by the wife of AGNA's logistics manager; and
-- Engaging in practices to maximize profit from the contract with reckless disregard for the safety and security of the guard force, the U.S. Embassy and its personnel.
Also named in the whistle-blower lawsuit is Cornelius Medley, then the guard force commander and fill-in deputy program manager in Kabul.
Gordon is represented by Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP.
