WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former security contractors in Afghanistan say
in a lawsuit they were fired for questioning security problems at the
U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
The two men's federal lawsuit, filed
Thursday, charges that their former employer, ArmorGroup North America
Inc., lied to the State Department when it bid on the contract to
provide embassy security. The lawsuit claims the company misrepresented
it capabilities, its experience and how many hours its contractors
would work.
Company spokesman Patrick Toyne Sewell says the
contractors, James Sauer of Massachusetts and Peter Martino of New
Hampshire, are disgruntled former employees who are angling for an
undeserved multimillion-dollar settlement.
The two men say they
complained that budget constraints made it impossible to keep the
embassy secure. The problems cited in the lawsuit occurred during a
transition period before ArmorGroup took over embassy security last
July.
The State Department said it investigated the claims and,
after working with the company to improve some areas, officials are
satisfied the embassy is secure and the contract is being adhered to.
Sauer
and Martino are seeking at least $3 million apiece, citing wrongful
termination, retaliation and other charges. The Virginia-based employer
is part of the worldwide company ArmorGroup International, which has
its headquarters in London.