A main opposition deputy on Wednesday charged that the outgoing president and managing director of the state-run natgas grid operator (DEFSA) gave himself a promotion shortly before his retirement, a move that translated into an extra 100,000 euros for his pension lump sum payment.
A main opposition deputy on Wednesday charged that the outgoing president and managing director of the state-run natgas grid operator (DEFSA) gave himself a promotion shortly before his retirement, a move that translated into an extra 100,000 euros for his pension lump sum payment.
The charge, including in a question tabled in Parliament towards the relevant economy ministry on Wednesday, was made by New Democracy (ND) deputy Costas Skrekas and aimed at DESFA executive Sotiris Nikas.
The latter was a top DESFA executive when tapped by the current leftist Greek government last November to assume the utility’s helm.
Skrekas said Nikas first gave himself the promotion and then promptly filed his retirement papers. According to the allegation, the DEFSA executive’s lump sum pension payment – on top of monthly payments – reached 258,000 euros. He reportedly retired at the general director level on the state-run company’s organizational chart, a promotion that lasted a few days and which was approved by DESFA’s regulatory council, Skrekas said.
In a later reaction to the charges, relevant Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis said “an instance of promotion before retirement from DESFA is not an impropriety,” while saying the incident differs from another “self-granted” round of pay hikes approved by the leadership of the state-run power grid transmission operator (ADMIE) for the utility’s leadership.