London, October 18: Citibank has won a legal fight in the United Kingdom after firing an employee for lying about expenditures for sandwiches and coffee for his companion during a work trip. According to the BBC, former financial analyst Szabolcs Fekete filed a claim against the bank for wrongful termination after being sacked last year for gross misconduct in connection with the expenditures claim. He initially claimed that he had devoured the two sandwiches, two pasta dishes, and two coffees on his own during a business trip to Amsterdam, but then admitted that he had shared some of the food with his girlfriend.

Fekete, a seven-year Citibank employee, flew to Amsterdam for work between July 3 and 5, 2022. When he returned to London, he submitted an expense claim for food and drink that he thought was covered by his company's daily limit. However, the supervisor to whom he filed his claim inquired if he had consumed all of the meal for which he was asking for payment. Citibank To Exit From Consumer Banking Businesses in 13 Countries Including India as Part of Global Strategy.

The Citibank employee stated in an email discussion with the management that he "examined the receipt and did not detect anything out of order...I went on a business trip by myself and... I drank two small coffees." The Citibank manager responded that the receipt "appears to include two sandwiches, two coffees, and another drink... Are you saying that you consumed everything?"

"On that day, I skipped breakfast and only had one coffee in the morning," Fekete revealed. I had one sandwich with a drink and one coffee for lunch, then brought another coffee back to the workplace and had the second sandwich in the afternoon... which also served as my dinner." All of my costs are under the daily allocation of 100 euros. Could you kindly explain your worry since I don't believe I need to defend my eating habits to this extent, he added.

The bank, on the other hand, indicated that its concern was not with the amount but with whether the claim violated its expenditure management policy, which specifies that spousal travel and meals are not reimbursed. It also questioned whether he had eaten pesto spaghetti and Bolognese pasta with his companion. However, Fekete stated that this was not the case. 'Deliver the Change or Get off the Train': Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser Issues Stern Warning to Employees Amid Layoff Talks, Says Report.

He eventually revealed, however, that he had shared the food, which he had expensed to his company, with his companion. When he responded to the emails, he also stated that he was suffering personal troubles as a result of his grandmother's death, that he had taken six weeks of medical leave, and that he was on powerful medicine. However, Fekete was eventually fired by Citibank. Fekete was fired fairly, according to Employment Judge Illing, since he was originally dishonest about the misclaimed expenditure.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 18, 2023 10:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).