i-flex Netherlands unit CEO detained

In yet another incident involving harassment of Indian IT professionals abroad, leading IT company i-flex solutions ltd said on Thursday that the London-based CEO of its Dutch subsidiary has been detained in UK while 14 other employees have been asked to quit the Netherlands.

"The exact scope of the investigation so far has not been disclosed to i-flex. Based on questions asked, it is our understanding that the investigation relates to visa matters", the city-based financial solutions provider said in a release in Mumbai.

The company said its lawyers in the UK and the Netherlands are in touch with the respective authorities on this matter.

"Most of the employees have been asked to leave the country within a week while the CEO was detained on request from Dutch authorities", it said.

i-flex has already initiated a high level effort in close collaboration with the Indian ministries of external affairs and information technology, and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) apart from the respective consulates to secure immediate release of its CEO.

i-flex said the company is also working towards ensuring early and safe return of the concerned employees and their families from the Netherlands, where it is predominantly in the business of providing software solutions for banking since May 2000.

The company is in touch with customers and has initiated necessary steps to address any potential impact to the customers and ensure continued proactive support, it added.

i-flex is one of the top 20 software exporters and largest product software company in India with revenues in excess of $100 million.

The company has serviced more than 390 customers across 89 countries through its global operations with three subsidiaries, including the one in Amsterdam.

The entity is represented in over 50 countries through more than 30 corporate business partners. It has alliances and implementation relationships with several companies, including IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Sun Microsystems.

This is the third instance in recent times wherein an Indian IT company has faced trouble with authorities abroad.

Polaris CEO and a colleague were detained by Indonesian police while several IT professionals faced harassment in Malaysia leading to a diplomatic row.