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The same November day that a grand jury indicted millionaire Prairie Village native David Wittig in Topeka on money-laundering and fraud charges, Overland Park lawyer Jim Zakoura won a harder-fought ruling against Wittig's company, Westar Energy Inc.
Heeding months of arguments by Zakoura, the Kansas Corporation Commission ordered Westar to restructure and remove the massive troubles of its Protection One Inc. burglar alarm subsidiary from its books.
Zakoura's crusade was waged on behalf of consumers and energy-consuming businesses, which he said he saw as vulnerable to Westar's use of utility monopolies to subsidize failing businesses.
It's unlikely that many consumers lost sleep over Westar's sneaky bookkeeping. In fact, some might even feet sorry for former CEO Wittig, victim of government regulators and legal sharks.
Yet Zakoura is not your typical shark Mike Zakoura calls his younger brother "just the nicest person I've ever known, period." His law partner finds inspiration in Jim Zakoura's attentive care of his ailing mother. Opponents marvel at his courteous and friendly nature.
He's a "delight" and a "consummate gentleman," said Karl Zobrist, former Missouri Public Utilities Commission chairman.
But for all his niceness, Zakoura has little sympathy for Wittig's troubles at Westar.
"Wouldn't you like to manage a company that has no competition and is guaranteed a 12 percent return after taxes?" he said.
Candy case
Zakoura, 54, learned the important lessons about competition as an 8-year-old candy clerk in his parents' store in Osawatomie, Kan.
"There were all kinds of grocery stores in town," said Mike Zakoura. Safeway and IGA had outlets, as did several other moms and POPS.
The three Zakoura kids worked after school, "selling in front, helping cut meat in the back part of the store," Mike Zakoura said. "We were great hamburger makers."
Although the kids were obliged to wait on their peers at the candy counter, the store was a good...