31st Jan 2008 14:48
Ryanair Holdings PLC31 January 2008 RYANAIR RESPONDS TO LEGAL ACTION FROM PRESIDENT SARKOZY AND MS CARLA BRUNI Ryanair, France's largest low fares airline today (Thursday, 31 January 2008)responded to a legal action launched by President Sarkozy and Ms Carla Bruni,relating to a humorous advert, which ran in the Le Parisien newspaper last week. Ryanair has previously written to President Sarkozy's office apologising for anyoffence caused, and undertaking that it would not publish the advert (oranything similar to it) again. Ryanair has also offered - as a token of itsregret - to make a donation of €5,000 to any charity of President Sarkozy'schoice. Last evening however, Ryanair received legal papers from President Sarkozy andMs Bruni under which President Sarkozy was seeking damages of €1, but Ms Bruniwas seeking damages of €500,000. Ryanair's lawyers will today tell the FrenchCourts that they are happy to settle President Sarkozy's claim for €1 andRyanair will renew its offer to make a charitable contribution of €5,000 to anycharity of President Sarkozy's choice. Ryanair has the utmost respect forPresident Sarkozy and the high office which he holds. Ryanair's lawyers will also make a similar offer to Ms Bruni, offering damagesof €1 and a contribution of €5,000 to any charity of Mr Bruni's choice. Ryanairwill not however agree to any totally unjustified payment of €500,000 to MsBruni, who has engaged in an open, widely publicised and internationallyreported relationship with President Sarkozy. The advert used by Ryanair wastaken from one of the French newspapers and Ryanair notes that Ms Bruni did notmake any objection to any of the remaining thousands of photographs of her whichhave appeared in over 55,000 newspapers and magazines in recent weeks. Speaking today Ryanair's Peter Sherrard said: "We apologised immediately and sincerely to both President Sarkozy and Ms Bruni for this advert which ran in Le Parisien newspaper this week. It was an honest attempt by Ryanair to reflect humorously and positively on this very public and publicised relationship. "However Ryanair has no intention of giving in to threats from Ms Bruni or to her ludicrous claims and we will vigorously oppose any claim for €500,000 from this lady who had engaged in one of the most open, publicised and internationally reported relationships, in the world, in recent weeks. "We do however renew our sincere apologies to both President Sarkozy and to Ms Bruni and believe that an appropriate payment to a charity of their choice would be the best and most elegant way to resolve this matter". Ends. Thursday, 31st January 2008 For further informationplease contact: Peter Sherrard Pauline McAlester Ryanair Murray Consultants Tel. +353-1-8121212 Tel. +353-1-4980300 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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