SALT LAKE CITY – Pizza for parking?

A parking officer claims a pizza establishment cut a deal that let employees park without getting a ticket, and he claims it cost him and three others their jobs.

Amrol Harrarah’s restaurant of 20 years, Sicilia Pizza & Kitchen, is at the center of a controversy.

“It`s been outrageous,” Harrarah said.

Jeff Clegg, a former Salt Lake City parking enforcement officer, claims he and three co-workers cut a deal with the business. The business would give them free pizza so officers wouldn’t issue parking tickets.

Clegg says if officers saw a restaurant menu on a vehicle dashboard, those vehicles belonging to a restaurant employee would not be ticketed. This apparently went on for two years.

That's a claim Harrarah disputes.

“Nothing happened; there’s no deal,” Harrarah said.

Clegg did not want to appear on camera for our story, but told us he reported the alleged arrangement to human resources in August of 2017.

“Four compliance officers and one supervisor were involved,” said Lisa Shaffer, director of Salt Lake City Public Services.

The department immediately began an internal investigation and the employees were placed on administrative leave.

“There was an unusual pattern of warnings and voids of tickets that were issued in areas like expired meters in front of the business,” Shaffer said.

In January, Clegg and three other parking officers were fired. All but one have filed appeals.

“We’re talking about public trust, and we’re talking about public funds,” Shaffer said. “The city absolutely does not tolerate any impropriety when it comes to those two things.”

The city says Unified Police Department also got involved in the investigation, but never filed any charges.