Zygmunt Solorz has joined the prosecutor's office in a dispute with children. The investigation concerns fraud.

Zygmunt Solorz declares his full confidence in the prosecutor's office and promises support during the investigation into his property dispute with his children. He believes that the evidence indicates that his statements from August 2, 2024, regarding the transfer of control of Polsat Group companies to his children were invalid.

In connection with the information about the initiation of an investigation into fraud to my detriment, I would like to emphasize my full confidence in the Polish prosecutor's office. Due to the confidentiality of the investigation, I will not comment on the matter until it is concluded," Zygmunt Solorz told PAP Biznes.

In his first statement to the media since his dismissal from the position of chairman of the supervisory boards of Polsat Group companies last week, Zygmunt Solorz declared that both he and his attorney will support the prosecutor's office during the proceedings.

"I believe that these actions will confirm my position, also in the context of the proceedings in Liechtenstein. The available evidence in the case clearly indicates that the declarations of August 2, 2024, were invalid . I count on the courts of both countries to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all the circumstances of the case," said Zygmunt Solorz.

The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw has initiated an investigation into the succession dispute between Zygmunt Solorz and his children, Tobiasz Solorz and Piotr and Aleksandra Żak. The notification was filed by Zygmunt Solorz's attorney.

As Mateusz Martyniuk, spokesman for the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, informed: "The prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation into the suspicion of causing Zygmunt Solorz, on August 1 and 2, 2024 in Warsaw , to unfavorably dispose of his own property in the form of property rights related to the activities of the TiVi Foundation with its registered office in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and the Solkomtel Foundation with its registered office in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, in order to obtain financial benefits by causing the injured party to make declarations of will resulting in unfavorable disposal of the above property with a value greater than ten times the amount defining the property of great value, an act under Article 286, paragraph 1 of the Penal Code in conjunction with Article 294, paragraph 4 of the Penal Code."

Zygmunt Solorz's children claim that on August 2, 2024, he transferred control of Polsat Group companies to them. The billionaire and his representatives, however, argue that the children misled their father at the time and that no transfer of power took place.

Civil proceedings concerning a property dispute within the Solorz family are ongoing before courts in Poland and Liechtenstein (where the TiVi foundation, which formally owns most of the Polsat group companies, has its registered office).

A new chapter in the dispute emerged on July 22nd, when Zygmunt Solorz was dismissed from the supervisory boards of Cyfrowy Polsat, Telewizja Polsat, Polkomtel, and Netia. Daniel Kaczorowski was appointed chairman of Cyfrowy Polsat's board, and Andrzej Abramczuk was appointed the company's new CEO, replacing the dismissed Mirosław Błaszczyk.

Abramczuk was also appointed president of Polkomtel, and Kaczorowski was also appointed chairman of the supervisory boards of Polkomtel, Netia and Telewizja Polsat.

The decision to dismiss was made unanimously by the Foundation Council, which consists of three people: the representative appointed by the court in Liechtenstein, Peter Schierscher, Jarosław Grzesiak (representative of Solorz’s children) and the representative of Zygmunt Solorz, Tomasz Szeląg.

That same afternoon, Zygmunt Solorz's lawyers announced they would appeal his dismissal from the Polsat Plus Group management board. They argued that the changes violate both procedures and the law. They stated in a statement that the dismissal is—in their opinion—merely a temporary ploy intended to draw attention to the dispute surrounding the company, which is detrimental to its ongoing operations. The statement emphasized that "individuals who were improperly authorized must expect severe liability for actions taken pending court rulings regarding their mandates."

Zygmunt Solorz's children, in turn, welcomed the TiVi Foundation's decision to implement changes within Polsat Group companies. In their opinion, the unanimous adoption of the resolution by the Foundation's Council demonstrates their deep conviction that these steps are necessary.

Their attorney, Paweł Rymarz, rejects the allegations made by lawyer Zygmunt Solorz about faulty personnel decisions in these companies.

Cyfrowy Polsat is the dominant entity in the Polsat Plus Group. Zygmunt Solorz is the main shareholder of Cyfrowy Polsat, holding, through other entities, including the TiVi Foundation, 62% of the shares, conferring over 70% of votes at the general meeting.

In May, a court in Liechtenstein dismissed Zygmunt Solorz's lawsuit regarding changes to the statute of his TiVi Foundation, which would have allowed his children to take control of Solorz's businesses. An appeal against this non-final judgment was filed in June. Following the first-instance court's ruling, Zygmunt Solorz emphasized in a statement that he retained control of the TiVi Foundation.

The dispute between Zygmunt Solorz and his children over the succession of the billionaire's business empire surfaced in September 2024. "Gazeta Wyborcza" reported at the time that Zygmunt Solorz's three children had sent a warning to the managers of the businessman's four most important companies. They believed that the well-being of these companies was threatened by individuals seeking to seize control of the business, including Polsat and companies strategic to the state. The newspaper reported that Zygmunt Solorz's children were in a heated dispute with Justyna Kulka, Solorz's wife.

On the same day the newspaper article appeared, Solorz announced that he would dismiss his sons from the boards of companies belonging to his holding company. The case was brought to a court in Liechtenstein, which issued a decision appointing a curator to the TiVi Foundation. At the same time, Zygmunt Solorz, as the foundation's owner, was suspended from appointing members to their governing bodies.

In October 2024, Solorz's sons were dismissed from the supervisory boards of Cyfrowy Polsat, Netia, and Polkomtel. Also in October 2024, they were removed from the supervisory board of the energy company ZE PAK. (PAP Biznes)

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