Karaganda businessman demanded KZT10000000 (USD680272) for anonymous commentary in Internet from journalist Alena Pankova

 

One of the visitors has made an unpleasant commentary on quality of utility meter (it was bought on firm "Gashydroil") on the website www.spr.kz. There was a surname "Pankova" in the commentary. General Director of "Gashydroil" Danyar Tazhin has thought that free-lance journalist of the newspaper "Novyi Vestnik" Alena Pankova wrote an negative commentary. He has filed a complaint with police and charged the journalist with libel. Police officers did not open a case. They decided that arguments of Daniyar Tazhin have been unfounded and unprovable.

However, Daniyar Tazhin has brought a suit about protection of his business reputation to Kazybek District Court.

Alena Pankova has said that she did not make any commentary on the website. She did not know about this website. Alena Pankova has been on maternity leave; did not cooperate with the edition of oblast during two years. Pankova has lived in suburban residential area, where there was a lack of gas and she did not use even any utility meter and Internet. There were more 20 "the Pankovs" in telephone book of Karaganda. In region, there were rather more such families, where"Gashydroil" distributed its utility meters.

These arguments did not persuade Daniyar Tazhin. He insisted on legal proceeding with journalist.