Head of Khersonska oblast council sues local journalist

Head of Khersonska oblast council Vladyslav Manger addressed Kherson city court with a claim against the journalist Serhiy Nikitenko, author of TV program “Yest predel" ("There is a limit"). Last issue  of the program titled “Who are you, Mr.Manger?” was dedicated to the biography, and, in particular, to the political career of the oblast council head, “Den'” reports. Vladyslav Manger considers the information in the program invalid and not substantiated by any evidence. In his claim, Manger, in particular, mentions that “such information defame his dignity and business reputation …”. The claimant requests the court to pronounce the information in Serhiy Nikitenko's program "Yest predel" false and invalid. In particular, the relevant statements in the program are about Manger giving away communal property, he is also accused of political corruption and affiliation with a well-known separatist and former Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Zhuravko, in illegally supervising currency conversion centers, evading taxes, etc. Manger requests the court to force Nikitenko to record and to publish video refuting all said information at Nikitenko's YouTube channel. Claim also includes demand of moral damages, but for only a symbolic amount of 1 hryvnia. Also, before the case is resolved, the claimant requested ban on disseminating the video record of the mentioned program. Project “Yest predel” is a series of journalist investigations by the team of “Agency of civil journalism “MIST”. Since February 2017, journalists prepared three high-profile programs: about an attempt of some local politicians to overtake control over the strategic city water supplying enterprise, about theft of property by former officials of the city council, and about previously unknown facts from the biography of Vladyslav Manger. Each program produced an ambiguous reaction - from feedback about good-quality video product rarely seen in Kherson to accusations of distortion of facts and presenting judgments as facts.