The chairperson intervenes Wednesday by calling up  an emergency meeting over Vitrenko’s appointment controversy, says ‘Naftogaz’ in a statement on its official web site.

“I have convened an extraordinary supervisory board meeting to discuss the CEO suspension. To meet the highest standards of proper corporate governance, I believe, the suspension is in the interests of both Naftogaz and Ukraine,” Clare Spottiswoode noted.

In her official statement, Mrs.Spottiswoode urged the Ukrainian government to take action in light of newly revealed allegations that by NACP.

“I have immediately discussed the situation with the shareholder – the Government of Ukraine. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and the Minister of Justice participated in the discussion, representing the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The Prime Minister committed himself to making the final decision, including whether to terminate the contract with Yuriy Vitrenko, within 10 business days starting from 15 June 2021 as required, Clare Spottiswoode concluded.

Responding to the claims Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko said that  the supervisory board had not discussed the NACP order with him. Yuriy Vitrenko strongly believes that the NAPC order contradicts both the letter and the spirit of the law and is a textbook example of ‘selective justice’

The NAPC chief Oleksandr Novikov who brought to light violations with Vitrenko’s employment in his interview for ‘Ukrainska Pravda’, claimed that they  did not find ‘any conflict of interest in Yuriy Vitrenko’s actions. But the law, unfortunately, bans a person who made decisions involving a business entity to lead that business entity for a year after the resignation.”

The dustup over Yuriy Vitrenko’s appointment at ‘Naftogaz’ kicked off following the forceful removal of his predecessor Andriy Kobolev. On Tuesday, NACP chief Oleksandr Novikov brought it in the public eye citing violations with new ‘Naftogaz’ employment procedures.