“I’ve witnessed disgraceful and unlawful court rulings before, but to lie so brazenly on camera while having the documents right in front of you — that takes someone with no conscience,” said EIC Tomasz Sakiewicz. The president and editor-in-chief of TV Republika made the statement live on air, reacting to the court’s decision regarding the station’s broadcasting license.
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The Provincial Administrative Court overturned the contested decision by the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) concerning broadcasting licenses, including the one for TV Republika, as well as the resolution from June 21, 2024.
“I haven’t heard so many lies from a court in a long time,”
emphasized Sakiewicz.
He added that he had witnessed many shameful and unlawful rulings, but “to lie like that on camera while holding the documents — that requires a person without a conscience.”
An Illegal Argument
Sakiewicz cited one of the arguments made by Judge Barbara Kołodziejczak-Osetek, who claimed that obtaining a broadcasting license requires a payment of at least 6 million PLN. She also suggested that TV Republika might not be able to afford such an amount.
“The law clearly states that it is enough to pay just over 1 million PLN annually. There are no other legal requirements in this regard,”
Sakiewicz stressed.
He added that the judge was not only wrong about the documents but also misunderstood the law and how it should be applied. He emphasized that the issue of this payment was one of the main arguments behind her ruling. He noted that the station paid the required amount before the deadline.
“We’re the only station in history to have done so. Apparently, there’s never been such a case. We paid the fee without the slightest issue,”
Sakiewicz highlighted.
The EIC also stated that the judge, in issuing such a ruling, “is unaware of its social consequences and the impact it has on public debate.”
Judge Claims Intelligence Services Decide Who Can Broadcast
According to Sakiewicz, the judge stated that the intelligence services have the authority to decide who can and cannot be granted a broadcasting license.
Corrupt Blackmail: Money for Concession
Sakiewicz revealed that Paweł Warda, who filed the complaint against KRRiT, had offered — through the prosecutor’s office — to withdraw his case from court if Telewizja Republika agreed to buy his company.