Jan Kobylanski

Jan Kobylanski, a Polish millionaire residing in Uruguay, allegedly offered a 200,000 US dollar bribe to former President Lech Walesa in return for appointing Polish ambassadors in Latin America, revealed former Uruguay ambassador.

During the official visit of former President Lech Walesa to Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, on 25 February 1995, Jan Kobylanski offered Walesa a 200,000 USD “donation” for his presidential campaign. In return, Kobylanski wanted to influence the appointment of ambassadors in Latin America and receive the title of an honorary ambassador of the Polish Republic in Latin America, claims Ryszard Schnepf, Polish ambassador to Spain and former ambassador to Uruguay, Paraguay and Costa Rica.

Schnepf is one of 18 well-known Polish journalists and ambassadors who were accused by Kobylanski of defamation and who are being sued by him in district court in Warsaw. Among them there are: Adam Michnik (the editor-in-chief of the daily Gazeta Wyborcza), Jerzy Baczynski (the editor-in-chief of the weekly Polityka), Daniel Passent and Jaroslaw Gugala (both journalists and former ambassadors in Latin America).

Four years ago, newspapers reported that Kobylanski denounced Jews to the Nazis during WW II and that he cooperated with Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner.

During the hearing, which was held on Tuesday, supporters of the Polish-Uruguayan businessman from the ultra-conservative Catholic radio station Radio Maryja – of which Kobylanski is a long time sponsor – as well as readers of the far right newspaper Nasz Dziennik, stood in protest.

Kobylanski denies Schnepf’s allegations and Lech Walesa neither confirms, nor denies the fact that he was offered a bribe by the controversial millionaire. (mg/mmj)