They fell victim to a crime. They administered justice themselves. One killed, the other covered up the traces

Although there was no shortage of crime films in the history of Polish cinema, few were as good as Krzysztof Krauze’s with Jacek Borcuch and Andrzej Chyra in the main roles. The production hit the big screens in mid-November 1999 and immediately met with audience interest and critical acclaim. The success was confirmed not only by the record attendance at the screenings, but also by numerous awards, including 5 statuettes of the Polish Film Academy and the Golden Lions. Today, few people remember that the script created by the director together with Jerzy Morawski was inspired by .

Is the movie “The Debt” based on facts? The whole of Poland was concerned about this issue in the 1990s. Krauze brought it to the screen

The story that shocked the whole of Poland took place in the first half of the 1990s. Artur Bryliński and Sławomir Sikora, because they were its heroes, decided to join forces and jointly set up a business distributing cosmetics from overseas. Due to the fact that they did not have sufficient funds, they decided to apply for a loan, but while preparing the documents, they realized that they also needed a guarantor. They wondered for a long time who to ask for help, but finally they chose their friend Grzegorz G., who agreed to it without any difficulties. After completing all formalities, all they had to do was wait for the answer, but the answer was completely different than they expected, because the bank did not grant them the subsidy. This was only the beginning of their real problems.

Although the subsidy was not granted, Grzegorz began to demand that they repay his fictitious debt. Initially, he harassed them himself, but seeing no results, he involved his bodyguard, Mariusz. It even came to the point that the blackmailed entrepreneurs stole and issued botched checks just to protect themselves and their loved ones; the criminals threatened to kidnap Bryliński’s 7-year-old nephew and force Sikora’s fiancée into prostitution. – He said that if I did not cooperate with him, he would take her to a brothel – said the second one. They finally decided to put an end to it by reporting the matter to the police, but the officers did not take them seriously. Then they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The dispute ended in a double murder. This is what happened to Bryliński and Sikora

The tragic events took place in March 1994. Bryliński and Sikora contacted Grzegorz G., inviting him to a meeting at the apartment of one of them. They also involved Sławomir’s brother, Tomek, and his friend Marcin, who, when the criminals arrived at the agreed time, helped them overpower them. Then they put them in a car and took them to the outskirts of the capital, where, according to the plan, they were supposed to scare them. However, the situation quickly got out of control because Grzegorz began to threaten them with revenge. Then Bryliński lost his temper and in a fit of fury “stabbed him with a knife.” – Arthur killed them. I took part in it, so I’m guilty too. It was Artur who cut off their heads because I was not mentally prepared for it, said Sikora. When they realized what had happened, they were terrified. Still, they tried to maintain their composure. They came up with the idea of ​​faking mafia settlements; it was no secret that Grzegorz had conflicts with the underworld, so they threw the body into the Vistula. They were convinced that they would be carried away by the current and the matter would not come to light, but this did not happen, because just a few days later the water washed them ashore.

An investigation began, as a result of which 32-year-old Bryliśki and 33-year-old Sikora became the main suspects. After their arrest, they immediately confessed to the crimes they were accused of and the trial began, ultimately lasting 14 months. By court decision, they were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for double murder. – The story of these boys showed me that it can happen to anyone – Krauze said after the premiere of the film, which also became the beginning of the fight for their pardon. Ultimately, Sikora regained his freedom after a decade spent behind bars, and Bryliński was released from prison after 15 years. If you feel like it, vote in our poll below.