KYIV, Oct 6 – The head of state-owned Ukreximbank said Wednesday he will temporarily step down from his position after admitting of attacking a journalist in his office during an interview earlier in the week.

Yevhen Metzger, the Chairman of Ukreximbank’s board, said he will be suspended for the time of investigation.

Metzger, a friend of President Volodymyr Zelensky, first denied the incident, and said the journalist had tried to obtain a sensitive banking information. The journalists from Radio Liberty’s claimed they were attacked, and their recording equipment was confiscated and sim-cards erased.

However, Metzger’s story collapsed after the release of the video by the journalists, who had managed to retrieve the data with the help of a recovery team that had restored the data and a video of the attack.

Metzger said his behavior was ‘overly emotional.’

"My overly emotional reaction and unrestrained behavior towards journalists have no justification. I fully understand my responsibility. In order to remove at least some of the damage to the bank's reputation and divert the negativity towards its wonderful staff, I am immediately writing a statement of resignation as the chairman of the board during the necessary investigative actions of the National Police and an internal audit in the bank," the press service quoted Metzger as saying.

Journalist groups are watching whether Metzger will have be treated honestly even that he is the friend of the president. Many believe he may get away with the incident.

Ukreximbank is the third largest bank in Ukraine by assets.

As Radio Liberty earlier reported, on Monday, the camera crew of the Skhemy (Schemes) television program was attacked during an interview with Ukreximbank Board Chairman Yevhen Metzger, allegedly because of one of the questions they did not like.

According to Natalia Sedletska, the head of the Skhemy, complained that bank employees took away two cameras, took away the cards on which the recording was carried out, and deleted the recorded video.

All this time, however, the camera crew remained locked in the office of the head of the bank's board in his presence. An hour later, the equipment was returned to the camera crew, but the video of the entire interview and the attack itself was removed.

Kyiv police reported that necessary investigative actions are being carried out, criminal proceedings have been started under Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - obstruction of the legitimate professional activities of journalists.

Metzger was appointed head of the bank's board in March 2020. The head of the supervisory board of the financial institution is an independent member Oliana Hordiyenko. Dimitri Chichlo, Serhiy Konovets, Dominique Menu and Laszlo Urban are also independent members of the Supervisory Board. (om/ez)