Indictment for defamation, dismissal of impersonation. The prosecutor's office talks about the results of investigations in which the injured party was Kamil L., known as Budda.
Fast and extravagant cars, a small fortune given away to fans and those in need, businesses opening and closing. Probably everyone who is even slightly interested in the Polish side of the Internet knows who “Buddha” is. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about him in the media. This time due to an arrest made by the Central Police Investigation Bureau. There is illegal gambling in the background.
“Buddha” is still in custody, we checked the stage of the cases in which the famous influencer was allegedly injured.
“I'm being blackmailed”
It concerns events from May this year. Then, a video titled “I am blackmailed” appeared on Kamil L.'s channel.
The recording had the description: “The future is what it is. Everything is changing – methods and techniques are also changing. This film is information about the events of recent months. I have never paid and will never pay. That's all I can say due to the ongoing investigation. The services are dealing with it and that's how it should be. Thanks for your support.”
The YouTuber revealed the details in the video. He specified that “these are thousands of threats, blackmail, attempts at extortion, telephone calls, and harassment.” – The last few months have been full of constant harassment and constant suggestions that they will not leave me alone without payment, he said.
He assured that he informed the police about everything.
They wanted to defame “Buddha”
Piotr Skiba, spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, confirms that investigators were dealing with the blackmail case. Two men were detained in the case – Artur R. and Damian S., both of whom were charged.
According to investigators' findings, the men threatened Kamil L. from May 13, 2024 to May 15, 2024, in various places, including Kraków and Warsaw, and via the Internet.
What were they doing? According to the prosecutor's office, they wanted to post a 25-minute film defaming “Buddha” online, which could, according to investigators, “humiliate the injured Kamil L. in public opinion or expose him to the loss of trust necessary for his activities.” They wanted the YouTuber to pay them PLN 700,000.
– In the case, a preventive measure in the form of temporary arrest was applied to the perpetrators. The investigation was completed on September 2, 2024, with an indictment sent to the District Court for Warsaw Wola in Warsaw. Currently, court proceedings are ongoing – Piotr Skiba told us.
But this is not the only case that investigators looked into following the YouTuber's complaint. On April 21, 2024, the prosecutor's office received information about impersonating “Buddha”. Someone allegedly used his voice and image “in order to cause property and personal damage.” However, the prosecutor's office failed to identify the perpetrator.
– The investigation in this case was concluded with a discontinuation decision of July 30, 2024 pursuant to Art. 322 § 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure due to failure to detect the perpetrators. The decision is final, the spokesman noted.
Charges of leading and participating in an organized criminal group
On October 14, 2024, Kamil L., pseudonym Budda, and another nine people were detained by officers of the Central Police Investigation Bureau. Prosecutor Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska from the press department of the National Prosecutor's Office said that the charges announced against the suspects concern, among others, management and participation in an organized criminal group.
– The purpose of the suspects' actions was to obtain proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets and to circumvent gambling regulations. Moreover, the allegations concern acts involving the reduction of VAT receivables of the State Treasury in connection with the issuance of unreliable invoices that did not document actual economic events. The charge of money laundering is related to creating the appearance of legal business activity and transferring, under the guise of loans, money between accounts belonging to the persons subject to the proceedings in order to hide the real origin of these funds and transfer them outside the country, she explained.
“Buddha” faces 10 years in prison for leading an organized criminal group. Money laundering is punishable by imprisonment from six months to eight years. Falsifying invoices carries a similar penalty.
Main photo source: PAP