Investigative report links TV Republika head Tomasz Sakiewicz to Zondacrypto pardon promise
Journalists from Wirtualna Polska and TVN24 identified Telewizja Republika president Tomasz Sakiewicz as the figure who allegedly promised a presidential pardon to Zondacrypto head Przemysław Kral.
Identification of Mr. X in testimony
Investigative reporting published on 15 September 2026 by Szymon Jadczak of Wirtualna Polska and Michał Fuja of TVN24 identified Tomasz Sakiewicz as the individual referred to as 'Mr. X' in prosecutorial testimony. Sakiewicz is the co-owner, president, and editor-in-chief of Telewizja Republika as well as editor-in-chief of Gazeta Polska. Prime Minister Donald Tusk had cited the testimony in the Sejm on 4 September 2026, reading a statement from Przemysław Kral, the former head of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. Kral, who is cooperating with prosecutors in an ongoing investigation, testified that Sakiewicz promised to secure a presidential pardon for him from Karol Nawrocki in exchange for financial support to the broadcaster. The pardon was intended to cover criminal charges relating to an attempt to obstruct journalistic reporting through an offered bribe of 1 million PLN to TVN24 reporter Michał Fuja.
Sponsorship contracts and the Washington summit
The financial links between Zondacrypto and Telewizja Republika centered on multiple corporate sponsorships and promotional agreements throughout 2025. Broadcaster records show that Telewizja Republika issued 16 advertising invoices totaling 1.62 million EUR to Kral's Czech company, Expofer Servis House, with Zondacrypto paying 1.53 million EUR. This advertising stream represented 11.3% of the television station's total sales revenue in 2025. Additional funding covered the CPAC Polska conference held in Jasionce in May 2025 during the presidential election campaign, as well as the Polish-American Strategic Industries Summit in Washington in early September 2025. Telewizja Republika billed Kral 614,999 PLN for the Washington gathering, where Kral planned to meet Nawrocki and present him with a personalized Atalanta Bergamo soccer jersey. The meeting did not materialize because Nawrocki did not attend, and the jersey was later passed to intermediary Artur Chodziński.
- TVN24 Superwizjer discloses criminal sources of funding behind the exchange, then known as BitBay
- Zondacrypto sponsors the CPAC Polska conference organized in Jasionce
- Telewizja Republika bills 614,999 PLN for the Washington summit, which Karol Nawrocki does not attend
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk reads prosecutorial testimony mentioning Mr. X in the Sejm
- Reporters Szymon Jadczak and Michał Fuja identify Tomasz Sakiewicz as Mr. X
- Invoiced
- 1.62 million EUR
- Paid
- 1.53 million EUR
Responses from Sakiewicz and the presidency
Following the publication of the joint investigation, Sakiewicz appeared on Telewizja Republika to reject the accusations, describing the report as a brutal attack against his television station. Sakiewicz stated that his discussions with Kral focused on legitimate advertising packages and claimed he had no prior knowledge regarding the nature of any pardon. Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz also denied any involvement by the head of state, calling the reported promises baseless. Leśkiewicz stated that Nawrocki never met Kral, never received requests for a meeting, and never authorized anyone to negotiate pardons on his behalf.
There was absolutely no such situation. Besides, please note how many pardons Karol Nawrocki granted over the past year: exactly seven.
Legal scrutiny and political fallout
The disclosures triggered demands for formal legal inquiries into whether influence peddling occurred between the conservative broadcaster and political figures. Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty stated during a press conference that prosecutors must investigate Telewizja Republika and Head of the Presidential Chancellery Zbigniew Bogucki to examine potential coordination. TVN24 investigative journalist Michał Fuja noted on air that authorities must determine whether Kral fabricated the claims, whether Sakiewicz illegally claimed political influence, or whether a direct communication channel existed with the presidential administration. Tusk cited the testimony directly before a parliamentary vote on 4 September 2026 regarding the presidential veto of the crypto-assets market bill. Prosecutors continue to examine electronic devices and accounts seized from figures associated with Zondacrypto.