KIEV, April 23 (RAPSI) – Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Kurchenko’s UMH media holding, which published the Ukrainian version of Forbes, has refuted media reports that it allegedly filed a lawsuit with the New York arbitration court to contest the revocation of its license by Forbes Media.

The Ukrainian media wrote on Tuesday that Forbes Media had revoked the licensing agreement with Kurchenko, citing damage to its reputation. When they reported Forbes Media decision in March 2013, it did not cite any reasons.

Serhiy Kurchenko was put on the wanted list in early April on suspicion of embezzling state property and for evading customs duties. He left Ukraine after the change of power in Kiev in February. His name is on the EU sanctions list. His whereabouts are unknown.

Kurchenko, the owner and president of FC Metallist Kharkiv, also owns the VETEK oil and gas trading group, Naftogaz subsidiary Gas of Ukraine, and Brokbusinessbank and RealBank, to which provisional administration was appointed on March 3. He also owns the UMH media holding company.

Serhiy Kurchenko bought Forbes Ukraine last summer and hired a new editor.

Ukraine went through a regime change on February 22, when President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country and Western-backed ultranationalist activists rose to power in Kiev. The Verkhovna Rada changed the constitution and set early presidential elections for May 25. Moscow and several regions in Ukraine have not acknowledged the legitimacy of the new authorities and have condemned its nationalistic policies threatening the Russian-speaking population of the country.