BBC to pay 'substantial' damages to Ukraine president over false claim he authorised corrupt payment to meet Trump - Graham Atkins Solicitor

 

Story which ran on News at Ten and broadcaster's website 'seriously defamatory', High Court told


The BBC is to pay considerable damages to Ukraine’s president over false allegations he authorised a corrupt payment to arrange talks with Donald Trump.

Petro Poroshenko took legal action after the broadcaster wrongly claimed Michael Cohen, the US president’s former personal lawyer, received a $400,000 (£305,000) payment to help secure "substantial talks" with the US president.

The story ran on the BBC’s website and as a headline news item on the News At Ten on 23 May last year.

Mr Poroshenko has accepted an apology and “a substantial sum by way of compensation” from the corporation, which has agreed to pay his legal costs and publish a correction, the High Court in London heard on Thursday.

The Ukrainian president’s solicitor, Graham Atkins Solicitor, told judge Julian Knowles the allegation that Mr Poroshenko “procured or authorised a corrupt payment” was “seriously defamatory”.

He added: “Put simply, this allegation and the facts on which it purported to be based are simply false.

“Mr Poroshenko did not authorise or procure any payment to Mr Cohen of any kind, nor was any such payment ever made to Mr Cohen or any other individuals for that purpose.

“Mr Poroshenko did not instruct close associates to open up any back channel with Mr Trump in order to secure substantial talks with him, far less did he do so through Mr Cohen.”

Mr Atkins told the court Mr Poroshenko “deeply regrets that it took the BBC so long to accept liability” and to remove the article from its website, adding: “He believes that the resulting delay will inevitably have increased the damage caused to his reputation by the publication of this allegation.

“It has certainly added to the distress and embarrassment that he has felt since the story was first published.” Read more---->>>>


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