Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich wins apology over Putin claim

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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has won an apology from a publisher over defamatory allegations. HarperCollins published a book which included the claim that Mr Abramovich bought London football club Chelsea on the orders of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. On Wednesday the company apologised to Mr Abramovich and confirmed it had reached a settlement. It has amended the book and will make a charitable donation in lieu of damages. UK journalist Catherine Belton’s book Putin’s People, published by HarperCollins last year, included an allegation by another Russian billionaire, Sergei Pugachev, that Mr Abramovich had bought the club in 2003 on the orders of Mr Putin. In a statement, the publisher said Ms Belton’s book “contained some inaccurate information” about Mr Abramovich.(BBC)…[+]