Roman Abramovich Receives Apology Over False Gambling Allegations
Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club, has accepted a public apology and libel damages over allegations which suggested he had lost a “yacht” because of a poker game and suffered from a gambling problem. In May 2009 La Repubblica published an article proposing that Abramovich had “suffered” a poker loss and had to give up a yacht, which was estimated to be worth half a million Euros.
The paper also alleged that Abramovich’s relationship with his partner, Dasha Zhukova, was at breaking point because of his poker playing. Abramovich has denied the claims since the paper first published the article and subsequently took legal action against La Repubblica. The newspaper’s solicitor, Sarah Toolan, suggested that her client “offers its sincere apologies to Mr Abramovich for the distress and embarrassment this article has caused”.
While the figure of the damages awarded to Abramovich has not been released, it’s believed the business tycoon will donate it to charity. Abramovich’s solicitor, John Kelly, told the High Court that not only were the La Repubblica’s claims completely false, they were also extremely damaging, suggesting that they caused his client “distress and embarrassment”.
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