Karol Nawrocki will testify in the lawsuit against the Onet portal over an article about allegations concerning a prostitution scandal

Polish President Karol Nawrocki will testify on January 18, 2027, in the lawsuit filed against Ringier Axel Springer Polska, the owner of the Onet.pl portal, which published an investigation during the presidential campaign about an alleged prostitution scandal that took place approximately 20 years ago at a hotel in Sopot.

Nawrocki, who worked as a security guard at the Grand Hotel in the Polish seaside resort, denied the allegations and described them as “a bunch of lies.” After being elected president, he sued the media company, seeking an apology for harming his honor and reputation.

The trial began on September 15 behind closed doors. At Onet’s request, a Warsaw court allowed the public and the press to attend, but banned live coverage of the hearing.

Among the witnesses is Natalia Geldon, a former seasonal hotel employee who was quoted anonymously in the journalistic investigation. She said she allegedly saw Nawrocki enter the hotel with a man and a woman and then accompany the woman to a floor. The court has already heard the investigation’s author and a former colleague of Nawrocki, who confirmed that prostitutes frequented the hotel but denied knowing about the president’s involvement. Nawrocki will testify remotely as a civil party.