A Rotterdam civil servant who leaked confidential information about fire safety at mosque-run boarding houses for children in the city has been sacked and faces legal action, the NRC reports on Wednesday.

The civil servant also secretly recorded conversations about the situation and sent them to various media, along with council documents, the city council claims.

The man has been sacked for ‘seriously failing in his duties’ and breaking the civil service code of conduct.

Job

The case has now come to light because the whistleblower refused to accept being sacked and given one year’s unemployment benefit. He wants to keep his job and says he will take the case to court, RTV Rijnmond reported.

Fire safety in mosque boarding houses hit the headlines last year when it emerged many broke the law on safety standards. In one case, dozens of girls were illegally living in an attic. It later emerged this was known to the authorities but nothing had been done.

Some parents send their children to mosque-run boarding houses because they are unable to care for them themselves or think their children will have a better start in life.

The government has since introduced tougher standards for mosque boarding houses and charged local councils with making sure they do not break the rules.