A ‘wannabe-spy’ is suing MI5 for £363,000 after being turned down for a job – despite being paralysed at the time he applied.
Sajad Suleman claims that MI5 "recklessly discriminated" against him because of his wheelchair-bound condition when he “should have been the preferred candidate because they said they encouraged applications from people from ethnic minorities and with disabilities.”
He claims that his failure to even be considered for interview has knocked his confidence to such an extent that he has been unable to find a new job.
Suleman applied for the position of Mobile Surveillance Officer, along with 1,092 other candidates, in December 2007.
He maintains that he should have at least been selected for interview despite the fact that the successful applicant was required to pass a ‘physically and mentally demanding’ assessment. Unsurprisingly, the job itself is an active one that’s centred on observing people and places both within and outside the UK.
”I could go on a train or a coach or in a taxi, use public transport instead of a car.” said Suleman
"I know the role is about observing people and places on foot or by vehicle. I can't walk for miles but if you are asking me to observe or monitor someone in a city centre I could do that. I could relax a bit.
A former bus-driver from Wembley, North London, he contracted Gullain-Barri syndrome in 2005 and has not been able to work since.
"I was so ill that I couldn't move my hands, fingers, arms, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees feet and toes." he said.
Suleman believes that MI5 should have been willing to adapt the role to compensate for his disability and that their seemingly unwillingness to do so reflects unfair discrimination against his ethnicity (Mr Suleman is a British Asian) and his mobility impairments.
However, MI5 have dubbed Suleman’s argument as ‘misconceived’ stating that the successful applicant was required to drive more than 5,000 miles a year, a requirement that Mr Suleman failed to fulfill.
While the case has already been heard, and thrown out of court once after an absence of necessary medical evidence, he has already launched an appeal, arguing:
"They should have interviewed me to discuss how to adapt the job to cope with my disability, not rejected me because I can't do certain things.”
”With all I have been through, I have put a figure of £363,000 on the claim but I feel very strongly it should be more than that. MI5 and the agency have recklessly discriminated against me."
