Robert Szustkowski, a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist, is demanding compensation exceeding PLN 50 million from the publishing house Ringier Axel Springer Polska for damage to his good name. He claims that the publishing house failed to comply with the terms of the settlement they concluded in 2020 and published false information that seriously damaged his reputation.
The largest property claim in Poland
The demand for payment of this sum is probably the largest property claim in Poland related to damage to the good name of a press publisher. Attorney Elżbieta Kosińska-Kozak, Szustkowski’s attorney, explains that the demand is based on the delay in the execution of the out-of-court settlement by the publishing house and the stipulated contractual penalty.
Settlement from October 2020
The settlement was concluded in October 2020 after a non-final judgment of the District Court in Warsaw, which found that Ringier Axel Springer Polska’s publications on portals such as Fakt, Onet and Newsweek contained false information damaging Szustkowski’s good name. He was accused of, among other things, ties to Russian secret services and criminal groups, as well as ties to the tapes scandal and Marek Falenta.
Court order from 2020
In the judgment of October 20, 2020, the court ordered the publishing house to publish an apology and donate an appropriate amount to a social cause. Despite the settlement, Szustkowski accuses the publishing house of failing to comply with the terms of the agreement, which forced him to file a claim for compensation. He points out that he has concluded similar agreements with other publishing houses that have also damaged his good name.
Defending a good name and an appeal to publishers
Szustkowski emphasizes that his actions are aimed at defending against false accusations, not at restricting freedom of speech. He appeals to publishers to thoroughly check the sources and veracity of information before publishing it, emphasizing that freedom of speech is the right to express opinions, but not to manipulate facts or provide falsehoods without bearing responsibility.
Source: https://biznews.com.pl/informacje-prasowe/26711-robert-szustkowski-wzywa-ringer-axel-springer-polska-do-zaplaty-kary-ponad-50-mln-zl