The Vasylkiv Court in the Kyiv region has found untrue allegations on Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn's responsibility for the murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze, which were made earlier by former presidential security guard member Mykola Melnychenko, and banned Melnychenko from circulating any untrue information on Lytvyn.
The court handed down this ruling on August 29, the parliamentary newspaper the Voice of Ukraine has reported.
After the court ruling takes effect, Melnychenko "will be unable to circulate untrue information alleging the plaintiff’s [Lytvyn’s] involvement in the journalist Georgy Gongadze’s murder or some other crimes for which he was responsible."
The court also obliged Melnychenko to organize and hold a press conference at his own expense to deny his allegations concerning Lytvyn, the newspaper said.
It was reported earlier that Lytvyn sued Melnychenko in March 2011. The speaker asked the court to oblige Melnychenko to deny untrue information on Lytvyn and publicly apologize for moral damage caused to him at a press conference. Lytvyn also asked the court to recover one hryvnia from Melnychenko in compensation for moral damage.
The lawsuit contains Melnychenko’s quotes from his interviews to several publications alleging that Lytvyn ordered and inspired Gongadze’s murder.
