A Bapco worker has denied he is suing a US firm for $3 million (BD1.1m) for alleged unfair dismissal.

Jamal Kanj said he was surprised by reports in the American media, which suggested he used to work as head of public works for the Viejas Indian area of San Diego.

The San Diego Union Tribune newspaper on Wednesday reported a Bapco employee with the same name was fired by the US firm in 2005.

It said he was sacked after complaining that a tribal elder's cattle were polluting a creek that drains into the Loveland Reservoir.

However, when our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News spoke to Kanj in Bahrain on Wednesday, he said he had never worked for the company and denied any knowledge of the case.

The Kanj referred to by the newspaper is said to be a Palestinian from Lebanon and the Bapco employee acknowledged he was from Palestine.

The report quotes lawyer Scott McMillan as saying his 50-year-old client, who is said to want his job back and damages, now works for Bahrain's state-owned oil company.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Kanj. "It is not me.

"I know some people have the same name as me. I received an e-mail for a Kanj from a person who thought I was someone else.

"There is a Jamal Kanj family in California."

The San Diego Union Tribune states Viejas Indian officials acknowledge Kanj was dismissed, but said it was because of "shoddy work" when overseeing a construction project and his request for an extended vacation to look after his sick mother.

However, the Kanj referred to in the report claims he discovered huge levels of the harmful bacteria fecal coliform in a creek running through the area.

The newspaper states US Labour Department administrative law Judge Russell Pulver heard testimony from both sides last week and is expected to rule on the case in the next few months.

However, polluted water never made it to customers, according to the Sweetwater Authority director of water quality for Don Thomson. - TradeArabia News Service