Wal mart sues boss for ‘fiddling expenses’

WAL-MART is suing a former vice-chairman for more than $5 million (£2.8 million) amid claims that he used his expense account to buy personal items including dog food, underwear and a Celine

Dion CD. The world’s biggest retailer, which filed a lawsuit in Arkansas, alleges that Thomas Coughlin, who was paid a total of $15 million over two years, went on a five-year, $500,000

spending spree at its expense. Wal-Mart wants to void his retirement package and to reclaim about $5 million in pay and bonuses. The lawsuit alleges that Mr Coughlin tried to sneak through

on his expense account items such as tortilla chips and beef jerky. Some of the items were much larger, such as a $10,000 all-terrain vehicle and three shotguns. Members of Mr Coughlin’s

staff are also implicated. The 124-page lawsuit claims that Mr Coughlin and “a group of carefully loyal subordinates” misappropriated “hundreds of thousands of dollars and property for his

personal benefit”. The company has stripped its former second-in-command of retirement benefits worth $25 million claiming he engaged in “gross misconduct”. Mr Coughlin, who left his job in

January and left Wal-Mart’s board in March, denies the allegations of misconduct and intends to defend the lawsuit. Mr Coughlin’s lawyer said Wal-Mart’s lawsuit was “another step in its

relentless campaign to discredit a man who dedicated his life to the company and its employees for 27 years”. Advertisement The lawyer added: “Wal-Mart has used its unlimited resources to

mount an attack on Mr Coughlin while denying him any meaningful opportunity to defend himself.”