According to him, this was revealed to him by his former associate Victoria Podgornaya, who has been a deputy from "Servant of the People" since 2019.
"One time, Vika called me and very confidentially informed me that Arseniy Petrovich was celebrating his first billion at a closed party in the 'Leo' club [of former] Mayor [of Kyiv Leonid] Chernovetsky," Mochanov recalled. The next day he repeated this on the air of one of the TV channels, although he now notes that "no one forced" him to share unverified information.
"It went on air – and it took off. I trusted Victoria Valentinovna and had no doubt that she was not a gossip. It turned out to be worse. She was also a schemer," Mochanov said.
He emphasized that Podgornaya never mentioned where and from whom he received such information. "She didn't even call or apologize for putting me in a difficult position," he wrote.
Mochanov once again apologized for misleading the public: "I learned from my mistake. I wish the same for everyone."