Qatar Airways employee arrested - Daily Mail
I picked up this story in the UK, anyone heard anything about this back in Qatar?
From the Daily Mail:
"A former British Airways executive was kept in solitary confinement for 25 days after being arrested in the Middle East for alleged industrial espionage.
Ian Heywood, 47, was heading off for a weekend break in Bahrain with a group of colleagues when he was seized by police as he was about to board a flight at Doha airport in the Gulf state of Qatar.
He was taken to an unknown location – thought to have been a police station – where he was detained in a cell for nearly a month.
Last night the Foreign Office in London admitted that Qatari officials had verbally confirmed his arrest to them after eight days – but they did not tell his distraught family of his whereabouts for another fortnight until they got ‘official confirmation’.
Now the married father of two is free on bail but cannot leave Qatar until state prosecutors decide whether or not to charge him.
Mr Heywood’s wife Gill, 51, daughter Charlotte, 16, and 11-year-old son Harry flew out from London to Doha yesterday, hoping that the authorities would drop proceedings and allow them to bring him home.
As she left the family home in Staines, Middlesex, a tearful Mrs Heywood said they had all endured a ‘nightmare’ since her husband was arrested.
‘I just want him back,’ she said. ‘This has been so distressing for the whole family.
'My little one has kept it so much to himself but last night he said, “I just want my dad back”.’
Another member of Mr Heywood’s family said: ‘Ian is just so frightened and he’s not a guy that scares easily.’
Mr Heywood, who worked for BA for 26 years, joined Qatar Airways in May last year as vice-president of global sales and distribution but was ‘headhunted’ by rival British airline BMI to be their commercial director.
He was due to start there at the end of May. He was working out his notice when he was arrested on May 1.
His MP, Tory Philip Hammond, who is campaigning on his behalf, said: ‘This all started with a commercial dispute that probably has something to do with him leaving Qatar Airways.
'The next thing, he was being accused of taking secret information from Qatar Airways with him.
‘But why has a UK citizen been held without charge for 90 days in Doha? Either charge him or let him go.’
Mr Heywood’s ordeal began when he was seized as he was heading to Bahrain for the weekend with his sales team as a farewell treat.
'Ian's so frightened, and he doesn't scare easily'
Where he was taken still remains unclear and at the time he had no idea why he had been apprehended.
His colleagues continued with their weekend trip but on their return, realising that Mr Heywood was still being held, contacted his family.
On May 5 Mr Heywood was finally allowed to phone home to say: ‘I’ve been arrested and I’m all right. I just don’t know where I am.’
His wife wrote to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband asking for help.
Downing Street officials replied that the request had been passed on to the Foreign Office.
Mr Heywood had been locked up for 25 days before British consular staff gained access to him and within three days he was freed on bail but told he could not leave the country.
He has told friends: ‘I’m totally innocent. I have done nothing wrong.’
He believes his supposed crime is based on an allegation of ‘breach of contract’ with Qatar Airways.
By coincidence, on Thursday last week Gordon Brown met Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, who is also chairman of Qatar Airways, for routine diplomatic talks but No10 refused to say whether Mr Heywood’s case was discussed.
Qatar Airways said they did not wish to comment and the Qatar Embassy in London failed to return a written request for information.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement: ‘The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Prime Minister’s Office are both aware of the case and have been in discussion.’"
The verdict was today and Heywood got cleared of all the charges. Shows just what kind of a dangerous cuxx the CEO is.
Check out the story here from Travel Trade Gazette:
Heywood verdict announced
http://www.ttglive.com/articledetails?CMPI_SHARED_articleId=1742896
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Ian Heywood has been cleared of all charges relating to alleged industrial espionage in Qatar.
The judgement may be subject to appeal by Qatar Airways.
Heywood, 47, was the airline’s vice president of global sales and distribution until April this year.
He was arrested and detained at Doha airport as he attempted to leave the country on May 1.
The former BA boss was returning home to take up the role of commercial director at BMI.
He is believed to have spent 17 days in solitary confinement.
The Qatari carrier accused Heywood of trying to steal data during his notice period.
Qatar Airways is expected to respond to the decision in the next few days.
What goodlookin said ...
Qatar Airways is indeed a JOKE ..
ceo needs to be drilled with metal goodlookin rusted dildo.
Wonder how this will play out.
Any more news about this guy? I hear he is still in stuck in Qatar.
Qatar Airways is a joke and the ceo needs shooting!
goaboy - Resign & join PUNJAB Airways :)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
dont you???
goaboy, give it a rest, your make it sound like a person on a child rant when you make these many posts seconds after each other.
Don't post anything until you have a means to justify it, otherwise it's just hot air.
However, I personally think that the management needs a restructuring, after sales in Qatar needs to be improved and so on.
On a side note, QR employees get paid higher on average that Emirates employees for example.
I can say that the service of QR is great everywhere but in Qatar in my opinion.
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Mr. Q's Blog - A Qatari's view on Qatar.
employees of emirates and other airline are much better off then they qatar airways employees ooops sorrry no they are call qatar airways slaves not employees
you dont know what kind of a sick company this is they must have paid a lot of money for the stars thats for sure
aahh, actually, Qatar airways sponsor the weather on sky news and have dropped saying they are the 'five star airline' now!!
what can you expect from a cheap airline like this employees are treated like shit and on what basis have they arrested him maybe the other employees must have played some game with him.these empoyees in qatar airways cheap people will even sell thier family members if they get the chance very sad to read this article 5 star airline what five star its a third class airline with third class workers.i do not think any other airline is like this.very sad
It would make more sense for the title to say
"QA employee arrested for industrial espionage"
@red_pop
1) QR owns quite a large fleet which increases at a rapid rate
2) All countries boost their own carrier in the airports. BA and Virgin in UK, JAL and ANA in Japan, etc...
3) Hmm, there is competition from many airlines, including Emirates. If you want to say 'another Qatari airline' then you'd be right.
4) I don't understand your last point but... ok...
__________________________
Mr. Q's Blog - A Qatari's view on Qatar.
Could someone described the 5 stars of Qatar Airlines?
I'll start with my best three.
1-Own a small fleet of planes and partially control the only airport in Doha.
2-Have no competition of other airline carriers for Doha.
3- Have a bunch of people working for this local airline, supposedly the company owns you.
You guys fill the rest of the Stars.
4-
5-
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
R U the same guy - Virgin - UAE - project? Working as consultant for Crawley guys? If YES ansa ok..........
twink14, crawl back into your hole.
people.. just stay out of it.. gossiping wont bring you any good..
i agree with you!!u can see more than 5 stars if you are working with them i guess!!
then all those inmates at Gitmo must have done something and deserved to be there for all those years.
Holding people without charge for more than 28 days in any country should be illegal. (The UK going to 42 days was a bad move). It seems alright when it isn't happening to you because those other people must have done something to get arrested but one day it might be you..... if that is the case please post hear after your release so you can tell us your story.
i hope this happens to everyone here! that way you'll be forced to stay in Qatar and be QLers forever and ever....BWHAHAHAHAHAHA
(just joking of course :-)
It has been known to happen that leaves have had to be cancelled at short notice for "operational reasons" and after the exit permit was issued.
I remember at least two being "pulled" at the airport for refusing to change their leave dates and ignoring the request to stay in Qatar.
You could be right - I only read about this not expereinced, fact is that if the police have any pending record on you they will not let you leave Qatar until this is resolved.
Actually I am quite surprised that this man was stopped in the Airport he must have applied to get the exit visa even to go to Bahrain.
Something must have happened suddenly to stop him in the airport.
I have heard the same rule "unpaid parking ticket they will not let you leave Qatar" that only depends on the size of the traffic violations you have. I went back to my country last week, although I had QR1500 worth of traffic violations. but I was free to go and they did not even mention that to me.
is more common in Qatar than one is aware of...
May be he is a spy? I dont think that Qatar would arrest a "British citizen" which equals (GOD), unless he missed up real bad.
and yes, I agree that arrested people must have their family notified of their arrest at the moment, this is common in the middle east, Especially at my home country the Kingdom of Jordan.
But guys, I assure you that this guy did something, otherwize this "47 year old father of two" would not be here.
daniele commented on it yesterday afternoon
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/153506
Having travelled with them last week I can't imagine who gave them 5 stars!!!!!
The 5 star airline, you only see the stars when you work there
I think it has other motives - if you take Germany for example Managers working in high positions who are dealing in confidential material in a company have a clause in their contracts stipulating they can not work in the same industry for two years.
Qatar Airways may not have been stipulated in his contract, hence the act of protecion on their part (very severe mind you).
However, I was offered jail too a the beginning of the year for a very minor incident (a run in with a Qatari on the street). They didn't put me in jail as they have no real facitlities for women charged with - but not proven guilty of a crime.
Also I was not allowed to leave Qatar until the case was cleared. However, even if you have an unpaid parking ticket they will not let you leave Qatar as I understand.
This morning I was thinking how this country is regarding the law, especially if you're not a citizen. It's quite frightening.
Hi Khanan....thanks
http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=232532&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
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Anyone Can Die.
Hi Mz. kaplatzki..
I could not find any reports related to this subject in Gulftimes today.. can u provide the link pls......
There is an artical in this mornings Gulf times...
Reading this
Honestly, the arrest sounds more like a political motive, due to the rivalry and jealousy of both the chairman and this gentleman.
This guy endured 90 days in jail and no charges yet. I think that the Qatar legal system is copying the same rules of Guantanamo Bay.
What are your rights on this country in a situation like this?
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
I forgot that it is sensible to put things in a more politically correct form since I have been back in the UK. As someone has updated this to read something different from my original title;I would suggest that it should remain "Qatar Airways arrests employee" or 'Qatar Airways has employee arrested'
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
Thanks Adey
From today's newspaper at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1038893/British-airline-boss-locked-solitary-25-days-arrest-spying-Middle-East.html
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
Adey ... do you have the link of this article?