OREANDA-NEWS. January 24, 2007. 10-th January 2008 at the "ATH"channal the subject was shown on alleged assaultive act made by the security guard of the MEGABANK Plc against the shooting team of the "ATH" channal. Taking into account that the subject holds information that causes damage to the reputation of the bank, the Management Board of the MEGABANK Plc applies to all staff of the Kharkiv mass media and announces the following, reported the press-centre of MEGABANK.

Over the latest years MEGABANK Plc is considered one of the most informationaly active and open banks of Ukraine. That is confirmed by the results of different ratings, opinions of great number of publishing houses and journalists. The press-centre of the MEGABANK Plc works in order to convenient work of media structures. The head of the press-center is Anna Zhurba. She communicates with all Kharkiv and inhouse correspondents of the central mass media.

There were no one non-reasonable refusal by the press-center or by the Management Board of the bank in an inquiry for receiving any information, comments or authorization for shooting. The press-center of the MEGABANK Plc regularly spreads information on banking news. If it is necessary, the Management Board of the bank holds press-conferentions for the wide range of journalists.

Unfortunately, we have to establish the fact that any representative of the "ATH" channal has addressed in any form to one of the banking officials for the authorization of shooting or receiving any comments.

Let us remind that the National Bank of Ukraine has recommended banking institutions to intensify security measures in view of more frequent incidents of armed attacks on bankings departments in 2007. The security service of the MGABANK Plc took all the possible mesuares for providing normal working conditions for staff and clients of the bank. That measures were also connected with the informational warfare unleashed agains the bank in 2007.

The reaction of the representatives of the security service of MEGABANK Plc on shoting on the threshold of the banking building was caused by the necessity to keep security measures. The videotape recording of the action shows obviously enacting kind of the subject prepared by the shooting team. The representatives of the bank didn’t get clear answer about the topic of the subject and who was a women heading the shooting team. There isn’t any evidences of an act of force against the journalist and the cameraman except for unfounded accusations in assault and battery of the shooting team announced in news. Anyone can certain of that events by watching videotape recording made by the cameras of video control on the front of the banking building and also by watching the subject made by the shoting team of the "ATH" channal.

According to the depest convictions of the Management Board of MEGABANK Plc the conflict arose cannot be described as assault and battery committed by the representative of the banking structure against the journalist executing his official duties. We concider any fact of beating journalists executing their official duties as inadmissible. But also we hold inadmissible such thing as informing people untruthful information. In this connection MEGABANK Plc is about to take into the court with the aim to protect the reputation of the bank and his staff.

The Management Board of the bank and collective of the bank emphasize treating with great respect to journalists and work of mass media, and they always are ready and open to a dialogue.