Assault on journalists of Schemes: head of board of Ukreximbank makes statement

Chairman of the board of Ukreximbank Yevhen Metzger has made a statement about the conflict with journalists of the Schemes program of the Radio Liberty media outlet, having promised to write a letter of resignation during the investigative actions by the National Police and an internal check in the bank, - is said in the message on the state bank's website on October 6.

"The situation that has arisen around the bank is unacceptable. My overly emotional reaction and unrestrained behavior towards journalists have no excuse. I fully understand my responsibility", - Metzger said in a statement.

"In order to remove at least some of the damage to the bank's reputation and divert the negativity towards its wonderful team, I am immediately writing a statement on resignation of the chairman of the board during the necessary investigative actions by the National Police and an internal check in the bank in accordance with the relevant procedures", - he promised.

In his opinion, the further development of the situation depends only on the conclusions that will be made by the investigation and check.

As reported, the film crew of the Schemes program was attacked on Monday, October 4, during an interview with head of the board of Ukreximbank Yevhen Metzger, allegedly because of one of the questions he did not like. According to head of Schemes Natalia Sedletska, the bank employees took away two cameras and cards on which the recording was carried out and deleted the recorded video. According to journalists, the film crew remained locked in the office of the head of the bank's board in his presence all this time. The equipment was returned to the film crew an hour later, but the video of the entire interview and the attack itself was removed.

The Kyiv police stated that the necessary investigative actions were being carried out at the request of journalists, criminal proceedings have begun under Part 1 of Art. 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists.

The editors of the Schemes investigation program have reconstructed a video of the attack on the film crew by the Ukreximbank employees in the office of its head Yevhen Metzger. The video was posted on the Radio Liberty YouTube channel on October 5.

OstroV also reported that the Office of the President of Ukraine reacted to the situation with the attack on the film crew of the Scheme investigation program by the Ukreximbank employees in the office of its head Yevhen Metzger, having called the behavior of representatives of the state bank unacceptable.