Former WPP PLC (LON:WPP) chief executive Martin Sorrell has called for an investigation into how news about his alleged personal misconduct at the firm was leaked to the press.
Sorrell stepped down from WPP in April over claims of personal misconduct and misuse of company funds against him, which he has denied.
READ: WPP CEO Martin Sorrell retires after internal probe into alleged personal misconduct
In his first public comments addressing the allegations against him since leaving the company in April, Sorrell said he had asked the company to investigate how The Wall Street Journal got hold of the story.
However, he believes the company has ignored his request.
"The most damaging thing that happened during the course of those events ... was the leak over the Easter weekend at the very top of the company, and which to my knowledge there has been no investigation whatsoever," he said at an event in Cannes, organised by advertising publisher The Drum.
Sorrell said there had been a "press frenzy" and that was "ridiculous".
READ: Life after Sorrell: WPP up as it posts above-forecast first-quarter net sales, repeats full-year guidance
He also slammed the company’s recent claims that all employees are treated equally.
"I would disagree violently with that premise, not all employees have been treated equally," he said.
He repeated that he had done no wrong but admitted that his style of management had been sometimes “difficult.”
"My management style has been in existence for many years," he said.
"Am I the easiest person to get along with? Sometimes I can be difficult. I would always say difficult with justification. If it was a fault to demand superior performance, mea culpa. But beyond that, no."