Contractor 'wanted' by police said he never received a summons

A turnkey contractor has spoken out after discovering his name on the police's 'wanted persons' list, saying he had never received a court summons.

Gergis Nadi Saad Fadil, 43, was recently shared by the police in a public appeal stating that he was "wanted by court order". 

The police notice, published on August 4, gave no details about the alleged offence.

He said that, upon learning of the appeal, he immediately went to the police headquarters where he was handed a court summons relating to alleged occupational health and safety breaches from 2020. 

The Egyptian national insisted he had never been served with any court documents prior to the notice.

“They made me seem like a criminal, a murderer, who was on the run, when this was not absolutely the case,” the man said, insisting that he was never informed or served in connection with the case. “I had a client, who after seeing the news, demanded his deposit back and cancelled the order,” Fadil said.

Fadil said the manner in which the notice was published was "disproportionate" given the police's intention was simply to serve him with a court summons. 

He also took issue with the fact that his notice appered alongside another individual, Antonio Zanghi, with no clarification that the two cases were unrelated. Zanghi also claimed he was unaware of any proceedings and learned of the matter only after media reports.

Fadil said he was worried about the long-term reputational impact. 

On Wednesday, the police issued a follow-up notice stating that Fadil was no longer wanted. 

Questions have been sent to the police.