Exclusive CSC has initiated legal action against Eric Pulier, formerly head of strategy for the company's Emerging Business group, over his actions as head of service.

Pulier is alleged to have made improper payments to executives of Australia's Commonwealth Bank. Those payments are said to have won ServiceMesh the deal, making it a tastier acquisition target for CSC, which suspended Pulier from his duties once news of the allegations emerged. The executive later resigned ahead of CSC's intended termination of his employment.

CSC documents seen by The Register indicate the company has prepared sueballs "to recover the damages caused by Mr. Pulier's fraud, breach of contract, and breach of the duty of loyalty he owed to CSC."

The company wants "all payments to Mr. Pulier under the acquisition agreement and the full amount of the $98 million earnout payment paid to ServiceMesh equityholders under the acquisition agreement."

Importantly, the services company says Pulier only received earnout payments due to revenue derived from the Commonwealth Bank.

CSC says its investigation into ServiceMesh is continuing and that it is considering how to deal with payments it made to other ServiceMesh equityholders.

CSC has clearly come to the decision that Pulier made the alleged payments. It remains to be seen if Australia's courts agree, but the services company's actions will surely make the defendants' cases trickier to argue. ®