Poles want damages after German police beating

Photo: Glowimages

The two Poles were returning from a business trip to Germany when the incident occurred at a petrol station near Berlin.

“We were jumped on out of the blue by a large group of armed men in ski-masks who were carrying guns and truncheons,” one of the men told Polish Radio.

“They didn't have any police emblems, and there were no police cars,” he added, noting that initially the pair thought they were the victims of a robbery.

“They broke our windscreen and severely beat us,” he said.

After being taken to a police station and interviewed, both men were released without charge, but they had to be receive immediate treatment in hospital.

The Poles had allegedly been caught up in a police action against money counterfeiters, and it appears that they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Agnieszka Libner, head of the Gniezno-based firm for which the two men worked, has confirmed that the company will take the matter court.

Besides compensation for the physical injuries that were inflicted, damages will be sought for the destruction of company property. (nh)