Trial of 'Whisky King' for Ordering Murder of 'Fat Irek' in Łódź Held Behind Closed Doors

The District Court in Łódź has decided to exclude the public from the hearing in a high-profile trial over a murder-for-hire order. The main defendant is a man known by the alias Whisky King, who is to answer for ordering the murder of Ireneusz K., alias Fat Irek. The murder took place on Christmas Eve 2007 in front of the victim's home in Łódź. The court's decision for a closed-door trial was made at the request of the defense, which cited a threat to its client's life. The presiding judge accepted this argument. Trials related to murders with a criminal background, especially those with long-running investigations and defendants hiding abroad, often involve decisions to limit public access. Courts may do so when there is a real risk to the safety of the proceedings' participants, which is regulated by provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to media reports, the accused fled Poland after the murder. He first stayed in Germany and then made his way to the United Kingdom. It was there, sources say, that he found success in the alcohol industry, which earned him the nickname 'Whisky King'. His arrest and extradition to Poland occurred after years of searching. In the trial, alongside the 'Whisky King', other individuals also sit in the dock, accused of involvement in the same event. Details of their alleged roles are not fully known due to the exclusion of the public. The 'Fat Irek' case was high-profile in Łódź for years and is part of the broader history of organized crime in the region. Excluding the public prevents the media and the general public from following the trial's progress in real-time, which is an extraordinary measure.