Naftogaz head plans to sign document dismissing his deputy Katsuba in two weeks

Board Chairman of national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev plans to sign documents to dismiss his deputy Oleksandr Katsuba, who has been on sick leave for the fourth month in a row, in two weeks.

"From the moment of my appointment to Naftogaz Ukrainy Oleksandr [Katsuba] has been on sick leave. I can use Instagram, talk to journalists and I can imagine how his disease is progressing. If briefly, this does not look like out-patient treatment," he wrote on his Facebook page.

He said that lawyers from Naftogaz Ukrainy in April analyzed the situation and came to the conclusion that the dismissal without receiving written explanations of the employee will be easily challenged in court and will give the right to reinstate him to the post "even if they show on TV that he had gone to outer space."

"The employer has the right to dismiss the employee without explanations if the employee is on long sick leave only after a four-month period. The term for Katsuba will expire in two weeks," he said.

He does not rule out that Katsuba wants to be dismissed without the observation of a procedure to be reinstated on the post, but he expressed hope that his deputy will write the application himself.

"Now about the wedding, photo reports in Instagram, etc. Oleksandr is provoking us [me, journalists, the public]. He understands that now he cannot return to work at the company. However, the post is very valuable for him, and he wants to be dismissed without the observation of the procedure. This is the best wedding gift that I could have given, as this will give him the right to be reinstated on the post via the fairest courts in the world – the Ukrainian courts," Kobolev said.

"Let's wait until the two weeks pass and I'll sign all the documents to dismiss him in the presence of journalists," he said.

Earlier media reports said that Katsuba last weekend got married at a ceremony near Paris.