You're reading: Kyiv prosecutors deny reports on opening of criminal case against LB.ua web site

The prosecutor's office in Kyiv has denied reports on the opening of a criminal case against the LB.ua online news site, as claimed by the publication, citing its own sources.

“Reports in the media about the alleged opening of a criminal case
against Levy Bereg are untrue,” the media liaisons department of the
prosecutor’s office said on Thursday, July 12.

“The prosecutor’s office, at the request [of Regions Party MP
Volodymyr Landik], has not responded and opened a criminal case,
according to preliminary reports, under Article 163 of the Criminal Code
(violating the secrecy of correspondence committed against state or
public figures),” the publication said in a statement on its Web site.

As reported, MP Landik demanded that the prosecutor’s office in the
Pechersk district in Kyiv open a criminal case against a number of
journalists from the LB.ua online publication. The prosecutors checked a
statement made by the MP regarding the violation of his rights by an
online publication.

The publication’s editor-in-chief, Sonia Koshkina, said on the
Shuster Live talk show via Skype that Landik’s statement “is nothing
more than an occasion to deal with our media outlet and me personally.”

“The MP was angered by a report published on November 18, 2011 ‘The
senior Landik rescues his son with the help of technologists and correct
comments on Web sites,'” the publication reported.

Landik subsequently recanted his claims, and the conflict was resolved.