Thousands of individuals who invested in companies connected to Janusz Palikot, a well-known Polish businessman and politician, are facing the grim possibility of never recovering their money. According to attorney Karolina Pilawska, these investors were enticed with promises of significant profits from companies in the alcohol industry. However, many now fear that their investments, totaling nearly 70 million PLN, may be irretrievable.
Pilawska stressed that for many of these investors, the priority is recovering their money, rather than seeing Palikot punished. “People aren’t as concerned with Palikot receiving a harsh sentence; they just want their money back,” she explained. Unfortunately, the legal distinction between Palikot’s personal assets and the bankrupt companies makes recovery unlikely.
Palikot, along with his associates Przemysław B. and Zbigniew B., was arrested by the CBA last week and faces multiple fraud charges. Despite potential legal victories, Pilawska emphasized that the lack of remaining assets in these companies means that investors may only find personal satisfaction in a guilty verdict, without any financial restitution.
Among the high-profile victims is Olympic gold medalist Justyna Kowalczyk-Tekieli, who lost 850,000 PLN. Other notable individuals, including a top-ranked Polish tennis player, also fell prey to the failed investments.