US e-payments vendor Verifone has sacked executive vice president William Atkinson, after discovering that he had been recruiting employees to join an un-named competitor.
In a statement California-based Verifone says Atkinson's actions constitute a breach of provisions of his executive stock agreement with the vendor, as well as conflicts of interest in violation of the company's code of business conduct and ethics.
VeriFone chairman and CEO Douglas Bergeron will oversee Atkinson's reporting responsibilities.
The vendor says it is "not aware of any successful solicitations of current employees, nor is the company aware of any facts suggesting that Atkinson will be successful in joining a competitor".