You're reading: Blogger apologizes to Yatsenyuk over false claims

Founder of the Raritet-Art chain of galleries Oleh Torhalo, who in his blog appearing on the Internet news portal Obozrevatel said ex-Prime Minister and People’s Front Party boss Arseniy Yatsenyuk had purchased 24 villas in Miami, has apologized.

“I declare that my story about the purchase of the villas was gossip I heard from Miami. I apologize to Arseniy Yatsenyuk, as well as to all true [Ukrainian] patriots, for whatever negative energy the story created …” Torhalo wrote on his Obozrevatel blog on Dec. 7.

Torhalo said the information in his blog about Yatsenyuk was an “emotional retelling” of what he had been told.

“I won’t give an oath and try to convince you that I did not think it up, but say I told you, word for word, what I heard from a person, in whose words I believed. News about my allegations reached the U.S., and my former American friend who promised me the addresses of the villas and names of the offshore companies, with photos and videos of Yatsenyuk at the purchased plots suddenly fell silent and cut off all means of communication,” he said.

Torhalo said he is willing to take a lie-detector test to convince Yatsenyuk and others that the story was not though up deliberately as a provocation. He said does not have any ties with any anti-Ukrainian forces or political opponents of the People’s Front leader.

“I am far removed from any politicians and parties. Since 2004 I have not participated in any demonstrations, supported or criticized the authorities. If there are any photos on the Internet with former or acting politicians, then they were taken only at the many art events I organized,” he said.

As earlier reported, on Dec. 5 Yatsenyuk’s lawyer Oleh Hromovy filed a legal complaint to Kyiv’s Solomiansky district court to defend the honor and business reputation of his client. The complaint requested acknowledgement of the falsity of information disseminated by Torhalo and called on him to refute the charges.