David Baazov, chairman/CEO of Canadian online gambling giant Amaya Gaming, has announced he’s taking an “indefinite” leave of absence in a bid to distance his company from his growing insider trading scandal.

On Tuesday, Amaya issued a statement saying Baazov was “voluntarily” taking this leave of absence to “focus on preparing an offer to acquire Amaya and to avoid a distraction for the company” while he deals with the insider trading charges filed against him last week by Quebec securities regulators.

Despite his temporary exit, Baazov will continue to draw his Amaya salary and will remain a member of Amaya’s board of directors. Current Rational Group CEO Rafi Ashkenazi has been installed as Amaya’s interim CEO while Amaya director Divyesh Gadhia will serve as interim chairman. Gadhhia is also chair of the ‘independent’ special committee tasked with considering Baazov’s bid to take the company private.

The statement included a personal message from Baazov, who said he remains “dedicated to doing the right thing for Amaya and all its stakeholders.” Baazov believes stepping down “in the short term” will allow him to “vigorously contest” the charges against him while (hopefully) avoiding dragging the company down with him.