Court in Kraków awards Linard-Bogucki 1.4 million zloty in non-final ruling

The ruling

A Kraków Regional Court on Thursday, 5 November 2026, awarded Ryszard Linard-Bogucki 1,403,000 zloty for his time in custody. The sum includes 1,070,000 zloty tied to the Warsaw case, 293,000 zloty in lost income from the Katowice case and a further 40,000 zloty in compensation. The judges said the lost-income award covers earnings he missed while detained, but not losses that others caused by managing his assets badly during his absence. Both cases ended with his acquittal, yet the judgment is not final and either party can appeal it. Court spokesman Maciej Czajka described the decision in these words:

“This ruling is not final.”

The claim

Linard-Bogucki first asked the State Treasury for about 46 million zloty to cover lost property and suffering. During the proceedings he sought a revalued sum of over 72 million zloty. Lawyers for the president of the Warsaw Regional Court, who represented the Treasury, argued for no more than 1,070,000 zloty. The representative of the Katowice court president asked for the claim to be dismissed, and the prosecutor took the same position. The award is a small fraction of the revalued demand. The court held that compensation should ease the harm he suffered without being excessive or serving to enrich him.

Initial claim (about 46 mln zł)46,000,000

Revalued claim (over 72 mln zł)72,000,000

Maximum sought by Warsaw court side1,070,000

Total court award1,403,000

Initial claim (about 46 mln zł)

46000000 PLN

Revalued claim (over 72 mln zł)

72000000 PLN

Maximum sought by Warsaw court side

1070000 PLN

Total court award

1403000 PLN

Data from the article text

The case behind the claim

Linard-Bogucki was a well-known businessman in Silesia in the 1990s, and in 1992 he opened a luxury car showroom in Chorzów. Charges of fraud and misappropriation of property followed soon after. While in custody he met a man known as "Rzeźnik", and prosecutors said he then established ties with the Pruszków gang. Prosecutors alleged that he took on a contract to kill a gangster known as "Pershing" in exchange for a place on the gang's board. According to the prosecution, the killing in Zakopane in December 1999 was driven by the wish to advance within criminal structures. He fled to Mexico, was detained there, and in 2007 received a 25-year prison sentence, which he finished serving in January 2026.

Acquittals and what comes next

PROSECUTORS_PLACEHOLDER

The claims were heard in Kraków, while the earlier cases were run by courts in Warsaw and Katowice. Either party may challenge the judgment, so the amount remains open to appeal.