Agrofert loses patience with Orlen
The chemical company sent Orlen an ultimatum demanding it pay a contractual fine of EUR 77 (zł.300) million within the next month. "If payment is not made within 30 days of receiving the letter, we will send the documents to the arbitration court," said Agrofert's Polish representative, Dariusz Sobczyński.
"We have received the document and we will reply to it. We would like to stress that further steps will be clear to the public once Agrofert agrees to reveal the full contents of the contract," said PKN Orlen spokesperson, Dawid Piekarz. Orlen claims that it has been in consultations to resolve the dispute for several months, while the Czech side argues that Orlen has not submitted any concrete proposals.
If Agrofert were to win the case, it could cost Orlen dearly. Agrofert's head, Andrej Babis, has suggested that on top of the fine the company would also seek compensation for lost revenues, which he estimates at EUR 350 (zł.1,367) million.
The firm is also planning to sue Krzysztof Kluzek, a former board member at PKN Orlen, for libel.
Orlen president Igor Chalupec has ruled out the possibility of paying any compensation. "Our lawyers say that such a scenario is impossible," he said.
