Roman Abramovich
The owner of the Chelsea football club, Roman Abramovich, filed a libel statement in his People of Putin book and sued the publishing company HarperCollins that produced it. It is reported by the Financial Times.
The legal proceedings are linked to a number of false and defamatory statements made against the billionaire.
Law firm Harbottle & Lewis LLP, representing Abramovich's interests, reported that the book falsely claims that the entrepreneur acted in a corrupt manner. It also puts forward “false information” about Abramovich's purchase of the Chelsea football club and its activities, the defense stressed.
The official website of Chelsea FC also posted a statement from the club and Abramovich. According to him, the book published in the UK contains “false accusations” that “have a detrimental effect” not only on his personal reputation, but also on the activities of the club. The businessman also noted that he wanted to avoid legal proceedings.
“Unfortunately, these actions were unsuccessful and the publisher did not correct the false statements in the book. I hope that today's actions will not only refute the false accusations against my name, but also serve as a reminder of the positive impact Chelsea has on Great Britain, ”the press service of the Abramovich club quotes. He concluded by adding that he has every reason to believe that the courts will provide him with a fair trial, as in the past.
In February, the British newspaper The Independent apologized to Abramovich for an article that said sanctions should be imposed on the billionaire. The publication reported that it “erroneously published statements” by the head of regional headquarters Alexei Navalny ( founder of the Anti-Corruption Fund, included by the Ministry of Justice in the register of organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent ) Leonid Volkov that Abramovich is “a porter of suitcases with President Putin's illegal wealth.”
