Rippling’s attempts to serve Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz have encountered significant obstacles, as Bouaziz and his legal representative are currently in Dubai, according to internal communications reviewed by TechCrunch.
The United Arab Emirates is known for being a jurisdiction where extradition can be avoided.
Rippling aims to serve Bouaziz as part of its high-profile lawsuit filed in Ireland against Deel. However, French bailiffs were unable to locate Bouaziz at a Paris apartment in France last week.
The lawsuit accuses Bouaziz of bribing a Rippling employee in Ireland, Keith O’Brien, and the affidavit from the alleged informant reportedly resembles a scene from a movie.
Bouaziz is not the sole member within the UAE. Asif Malik, Deel’s legal director, has also relocated to Dubai, as confirmed by Rippling’s legal team during a recent court hearing. Malik, a UK citizen, is the lawyer accused of offering O’Brien, Deel’s alleged informant, relocation to Dubai and financial support for his legal costs in exchange for non-cooperation with Rippling, according to O’Brien’s affidavit.
The legal system in the UAE complicates extradition processes, as noted by European authorities, despite the Gulf nation’s assurances to collaborate with international law enforcement. The UAE has recently increased efforts to extradite some long-wanted criminals.
The father of Alex Bouaziz, Philippe Bouaziz, who serves as Deel’s CFO and is claimed by O’Brien to have been involved in the payment scheme, lists his location as the UAE on the social media platform X.
Deel, along with Alex and Philippe Bouaziz, did not respond to requests for comment. Deel has officially denied any wrongdoing in response to Rippling’s lawsuit, and Rippling did not provide a comment when approached.
