The former advisor to the Head of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Lana Zerkal, received more than UAH 18 million over a year and a half of her work at the state-owned company, almost half of which was paid as severance payment on the day of her dismissal. This was reported by the political analyst Kyrylo Sazonov.
Lana Zerkal was appointed as an advisor to the then Head of Naftogaz, Andriy Kobolyev, in January 2020. Her official salary as an advisor was 650 thousand UAH per month or 25 thousand dollars at the then exchange rate.
L. Zerkal was A. Kobolyev's advisor until May 2021. For 16 full months of her work as an advisor, she received UAH 10.4 million.
On the day of her dismissal, May 26, 2021, she was awarded a severance payment of 12 monthly salaries, or UAH 7.8 million. This is about 300 thousand dollars at the then exchange rate.
In total, 14 months of work at the state-owned company brought L. Zerkal UAH 18 million, or about $730 thousand at the then exchange rate.
Andriy Kobolyev himself is currently under investigation on suspicion of embezzling about UAH 250 million from a state-owned company in the form of a bonus paid to himself. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine imposed a pre-trial restraint on A. Kobolyev and ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet.
After Naftogaz, L. Zerkal briefly worked as an advisor to the Ministry of Energy on a pro bono basis, after which she moved to a paid job at another state-owned company, the NPC Ukrenergo.
Naftogaz of Ukraine, like Ukrenergo, is 100% state-owned.
