It’s a SLAPP!: From Dream Job to Living Nightmare – The TAQA Whistleblower Story
In June 2025, former TAQA Morocco executive Dr. Leonardo Prola became the target of a SLAPP by TAQA North Africa, subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi-based energy giant, after he refused to participate in practices he believed violated labour and immigration law.
A Promising Role Turned Legal Minefield
Dr. Prola was actively recruited by TAQA Morocco and its external hiring partner Epik Consulting, who persuaded him to leave behind other professional opportunities. The company promised a leadership role central to an ambitious plan: to make TAQA a leading player in the North African energy sector. Trusting those assurances, he sold his home in Italy and prepared for a permanent relocation, including having to arrange long-term care for his two ill parents.
But weeks before his planned departure, serious concerns surfaced. After contacting Moroccan authorities for clarification, Dr. Prola discovered that he lacked the required work visa to legally take up the position. When he raised the issue internally with TAQA’s HR Director and a board member, he was met with hostility.
Company representatives insisted that his “physical presence” in Morocco was necessary to complete visa paperwork, an assertion contradicted by standard legal procedures. They offered no explanation for this demand and reprimanded him for “not trusting” the company.
From Whistleblowing to Retaliation
Concerned about potential illegality and personal liability, Dr. Prola escalated the issue to TAQA’s headquarters in the UAE. No official response followed. Instead, after the internal 21-day whistleblowing window closed, TAQA declared his contract void on the grounds that he had not reported to work.
Shortly after he published a whistleblowing dossier documenting the irregularities and potential legal violations – issues clearly of public interest – the company’s subsidiary TAQA North Africa S.A. (TNA) issued a cease-and-desist letter threatening defamation proceedings in Morocco, Italy, and beyond.
The notice cited no specific defamatory statements. Instead, it relied on vague claims of reputational harm. It sought to prohibit Dr. Prola from discussing the matter, even “in private.” The company further claimed the right to seek damages from him for “wasting their time” by not showing up for work.
This aggressive legal response coupled with ongoing monitoring of his LinkedIn profile and pressure from Epik Consulting to stay silent underscores a pattern of intimidation. It mirrors previous allegations by former TAQA CEO Peter Barker-Homek, who reported corruption and fraud before being ousted under similar threats. His 2011 lawsuit for wrongful termination, coercion, and defamation was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, but many of his factual claims were never disputed.
Human Impact and Broader Implications
The fallout has taken a heavy personal toll on Dr. Prola, who now faces not only reputational damage but also anxiety and depression. His case also raises larger questions about corporate governance and ESG principles:
“Isn’t a company like TAQA supposed to uphold transparency, legality, and the well-being of its employees?” he asks.
Support from the press has been limited. Meanwhile, diplomatic channels remain silent: Italy’s current ambassador to Morocco, Pasquale Salzano, previously held senior positions at ENI, TAQA’s Italian energy partner and a company notorious for SLAPP lawsuits – a potential conflict that may help explain the lack of official support.
A Textbook SLAPP
CASE recognises the action of TAQA a SLAPP. The cease-and-desist letter is emblematic of SLAPP tactics: it fails to cite concrete defamatory content, ignores substantiated evidence submitted to authorities, and seeks to chill public discussion of issues that are both lawful and necessary to debate.
What began as a promising career opportunity ended in coercion, retaliation, and attempts to silence lawful whistleblowing – a stark reminder of why robust SLAPP protections and corporate accountability are urgently needed.