Another highly valued startup has just been added to the mixture in the ongoing legal drama between Ripling and Deel: UK FinTech Giant Revolut.
In his hit statement, which sounds, as if he were straight from the movie, an Irish worker, Keith O’Brien, claimed that DEEL paid him about USD 6,000 per thirty days for spying. He claimed that the first payment of USD 6,000 was sent to his Revolut account by Alba Basha Westgarth, the wife of deee operational directors, Dan Westgarth, in November 2024.
At that point, Alba Basha Westgarth worked as a cryptographic compliance manager in Robinhood, according to the LinkedIn profile reviewed by TechCrunch, who has been removed since then. Robinhood told Techcrunch that she had left Robinhood at the starting of this yr, but didn’t explain why.
The deleted LinkedIn profile mentioned its location as Dubai – this is the same place where the DEELE CEO and legal director are now situated because Ripling is trying to give them documents. ZAA has a status of an extradition paradise.
Ripling is now sued by Revolut to get the full name and address of “Alba Basha” listed as a sender on this receipt of $ 6,000, results from court files. Ripling is also looking for all account opening documentation – reminiscent of IDS and media bills – to ultimately confirm its identity.
In response, Revolut hired the best lawyer in Ireland. He also sent a letter responding to ripling last week, which the lawyer described for Ripling as “helpful but complicated” at a court trial (without developing).
Surely, there are no suggestions or accusations that Revolut did something flawed here. The EU has strict privacy regulations, so providing this kind of information is hard, especially in such a civil case. The key point of the stick is that there was no order of the Irish court in the Revolut case to provide information.
Revolut refused to comment specifically in this case, but told Techcrunch that he would generally “be always consistent with all the application for an announcement by the court.”
Whether Revolut ends more details about “Alba Basha” behind the transfer, will just prove. The only other option based on European privacy regulations could be the consent of the client, which seems unlikely in this matter.
DEEL, which denied the media with all offenses, didn’t answer the request for comment. Deel Coo Dan Westgarth and Alba Basha Westgarth didn’t answer either. Ripling refused to comment.
Although the evidence is not yet final, the Irish Supreme Court gave a hint that it might probably honor Rippling’s wishes regarding the verification of Basha’s identity in some way or form.
After the lawyer accosted that he disappeared from the evidence connecting Alba Basha with Dan Westart, including the photo on Facebook of those two together, during the court hearing of April 2, judge Mark Sanfey noticed that “it could be an accident, but it is unlikely!”