A computer technician recently fired by the state Department of Labor has sued the department and several of its officials and employees, alleging that he was terminated because of "whistle blowing about rigged purchasing contracts, payroll padding and lost data."

The complaint was filed in Circuit Court by Eddy Conway, a former network engineer for the department. Conway represents himself in the legal action. Also named as a defendant is the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the labor union that represents most white collar workers in the department.

Labor Department official James Hardway said yesterday the state could not respond in detail to the suit because it has not yet been served with a copy.

But he said it was filed as a result of a "personnel action" taken by the department and its allegations are "groundless and patently false."

Conway said in the lawsuit that department director Darwin Ching and deputy director Colleen LaClair notified him Sept. 22 that he would be terminated effective Oct. 2.

"The stated reasons are trivial or fabricated," the lawsuit said.

Actual reasons, Conway alleged, are his "outspoken concerns about rigged contracts with vendors, rigged purchase orders, the degraded enforcement mission and payroll padding."