'Racism' analyst accepts settlement

Mauritius-born Fadil Dookhy was claiming £7 million in damages from AIG Global Investment Corporation after he alleged he endured a string of racist taunts from his boss, who branded him a "dodgy Mauritian".

The 25-year-old, who was on £70,000 a year, said he was the star performer of the equity research team.

He claimed that from when he joined the firm in July 2002 he helped transform his team from one of the worst in Europe to one of the best.
But he said he was offered an "insultingly low" bonus of just £2,500 - 20 times less than that received by his white colleagues.

The Muslim analyst said he began to encounter problems from his boss Chantal Brennan in November 2002 when he asked to take a late lunch on Fridays so he could attend the Mosque.

It is then that he claims Ms Brennan began taunting him with "humiliating, demeaning and racist" comments about arranged marriages and ridiculed him about fasting during Ramadan.

He also said she branded him a "major freak" for his halal diet and referred to him "dodgy Dookhy".

Mr Dookhy, from Tottenham in north London, had told Central London employment tribunal Ms Brennan called another Asian analyst "the Taliban" and asked him if he was going to "start a jihad" while on holiday.

He was sacked in July last year for gross misconduct and was replaced by a blonde Swedish woman, recruited to "entertain clients", Mr Dookhy said.

He claimed race discrimination and unfair dismissal and said he was hounded out of AIG's London office and would never again be able to work in the Square Mile.
The company denied the allegations.

After the settlement, Mr Dookhy declined to discuss the case further. His solicitor, Vijay Khuttan, said: "We have gone before the tribunal and the case has been withdrawn on terms of agreement between the parties which are confidential."