Topeka ? Westar Energy Inc. announced Friday it had placed its executive vice president on indefinite administrative leave without pay, and that he had also resigned from the company’s board of directors.

Additionally, Douglas T. Lake also resigned as board chairman of Protection One Inc., the security alarm firm in which Westar has an 88 percent interest. Westar did not say why Lake was placed on leave or had resigned.

The announcement came two weeks after the resignation of David Wittig as Westar’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.

Lake appeared to sever all ties to the company after being placed on administrative leave by Westar’s board.

“Mr. Lake has acknowledged that he will not return to any positions with Westar Energy, Protection One Inc., or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates,” Westar said in a statement.

Westar spokesman Doug Lawrence said he could not elaborate beyond the company’s statement. Lake was not immediately available for comment and his home phone number was unlisted.

Westar had agreements with both Wittig and Lake outlining compensation if they left the company. Critics have suggested those agreements could pay Wittig between $50 million and $100 million and Lake between $25 million and $32 million, though the company has never calculated the exact figures.

But in its statement Friday, Westar said, “Neither Westar Energy nor Protection One Inc. has made, or agreed to make, any payments to Mr. Lake in connection with the steps taken today.” It said the same thing when Wittig resigned.

Wittig resigned Nov. 22, and was replaced by Jim Haines, a former Westar executive who left in 1996 to head El Paso (Texas) Electric. Haines begins work Monday, with Westar’s board scheduled to meet Wednesday to elect a new chairman.

Wittig is under federal indictment, accused along with a former Topeka banker of hiding the true purpose of a $1.5 million loan. The allegations are not related to Westar.

On Thursday, a federal judge agreed to postpone for three months the trial of Wittig and Clinton Odell Weidner II, former president of Topeka’s Capital City Bank. Their attorneys had asked U.S. District Judge Sam Crow to delay the trial, arguing they needed more time to prepare defenses.

The trial was set to begin Jan. 22, but Crow moved the starting date to April 23.