A worker at a pharmacy that sells Viagra online boasted about the size of his manhood and insisted colleagues call him ‘Big D’, a tribunal heard today.

Darshan Acharya was accused of being a ‘creepy sexual predator’ by a former colleague who resigned after she was allegedly disciplined for lodging a formal complaint against him.

The woman claimed Mr Acharya said his brother inherited better genes than him before pointing between his legs, adding: ‘at least down there I’m bigger’.

Also, he was accused of touching the bottom of the woman and referring to another colleague as “baby” while openly discussing the pornography that he enjoyed watching.

She claimed she complained about her colleague but MedExpress bosses, where both of them worked, had disciplined her. This led to her resignation last February 5. 

On the same day, the lady made a whistleblower claim to the General Pharmaceutical Council alleging MedExpress was selling used Covid-19 testing kits that customers had returned – an accusation it strongly rejects.

She is now suing Dwayne D’Souza (Director MedExpress) and Mr Acharya (the woman), alleging that she was subject to sexual harassment, discrimination and race discrimination and was victimized as a whistleblower.

Her lawyer Joe Sykes said she is seeking a figure in the region of £50,000 for lost earnings and hurt feelings in her claim at the Central London Employment Tribunal.

The company, Mr D’Souza and Mr Acharya deny all the woman’s claims.

A woman is suing her former colleague Darshan Acharya, her former employer MedExpress and its founder and director Dwayne D'Souza, at the Central London Employment Tribunal (pictured) alleging she suffered sexual harassment, sex discrimination, race discrimination, constructive dismissal and victimisation as a whistleblower

A woman is suing her former colleague Darshan Acharya, her former employer MedExpress and its founder and director Dwayne D’Souza, at the Central London Employment Tribunal (pictured) alleging she suffered sexual harassment, sex discrimination, race discrimination, constructive dismissal and victimisation as a whistleblower

The woman, who gave evidence via video link today and was tearful about her work with MedExpress as a pharmacy assistant, testified.  

She said a ‘horrified’ female staff member had told her at a December 2019 office party about Mr Acharya’s boasts.

When he packed orders, he said that his brother had “the good genes” and he had the ones that were bad.

The woman said: ‘He had added, while pointing between his legs, “but at least down there I’m bigger”.’

Her labelling of Mr Acharya as “vulgarly and obscene” was a response. She said, “I found these words offensive and insulting to female staff.

‘Mr Acharya’s comment boasted of his sexual ability. He suggested that female staff might be attracted by him because of this.

He was shredding papers when she claimed that Mr Acharya had come close to her.

He told his female coworkers about his sex experience with a woman who had weird nipples and said he’really enjoyed bondage and BDSM porn.

The woman also claimed Mr Acharya called one colleague ‘baby’ and said he ‘wanted people to call him “Big D” in a further reference to his male private parts’.

According to her, it was November when Mr Acharya rubbed her bottom. Then I stopped breathing and screamed “What is the matter?”

The woman claimed Mr Acharya also harassed another colleague by trying to help her put on her necklace; positioning himself close behind her as she bent over to clean a below-counter fridge; and pestering her to have lunch with him.

In her evidence, the colleague played down Mr Acharya’s conduct.

She said: ‘I don’t think he realises he is being inappropriate. It is not difficult to misunderstand his social awkwardness.

The woman bringing the case against Mr Acharya told the tribunal that when she complained about him, she was disciplined by the firm for ‘poor performance’.

In February she quit MedExpress and anonymously reported MedExpress to the General Pharmaceutical Council for alleged safety or health breaches.

The tribunal heard her tell the tale: “The company sold used, back medication, and used, return Covid-19 testing kits.

“Binned” was the instruction given by my pharmacy manager to me and other pharmacy employees. Once we had done this, the products were returned to the shelves.

“There was a risk of new patients being infected with resold medications and Covid-19 testing kits.

“I was worried that the company would attempt to convince the GPhC that there wasn’t any wrongdoing.

‘The online GPhC report showed that the company conducted a phone check of the pharmacy in response to my anonymous complaint.

“They criticized the company’s practices, but they accepted the evidence over the phone that the returned medication were only sold if the patient had not taken them. I am certain that the evidence is false and I have continued to file my complaint.

GPhC Investigation is continuing. It is being taken very seriously.

The same day the woman resigned from her role with MedExpress, she made a whistleblowing complaint to the General Pharmaceutical Council claiming the company was re-selling used Covid-19 test kits returned by customers - an allegation which it strongly denies

On the same day that the woman quit her position at MedExpress she also filed a whistleblowing complain to the General Pharmaceutical Council alleging that the company was selling used Covid-19 kits, which customers had returned to it. This is something the General Pharmaceutical Council strongly refutes.

She claimed that the company had violated her privacy and anonymity as well as harassing, threatening and harassing she for her whistleblowing.

Mr Acharya insisted he compared himself to his brother only in terms of their heights and size – ‘without any sexual element’ – and denies asking to be called ‘Big D’.

The firm’s then HR manager Victoria Lee told the tribunal that, after the formal complaint was made against Mr Acharya, she warned all staff not to make inappropriate sexual jokes.

However, she decided not to suspend Mr Acharya. She told the tribunal that he was’mortified’ to have learned of the allegations against his character.

Mr Sykes asked her: ‘He was a heat-seeking missile of a sexual predator going through the workplace, picking on women and pestering them, wasn’t he?’

She responded, “He has every right to invite women to lunch. Maybe he did not go about it in the right way but I don’t think he is a sexual predator.

‘I don’t believe [the complainant’s] story. I find the fact that she has had to collect other people’s stories to collaborate her own convenient.’

Hearings are expected to continue for ten more days.