Sacked lawyer harassed clients, blackmailed staff and sent WhatsApp threats

Over 80 pages of emails and messages, some of them threatening, sent by a former employee to the Maltese law firm that sacked him, were exhibited in the proceedings against 42-year-old Bartosz Marcin Adruszaniec, of Poland.

Adruszaniec denied the charges theft, blackmail, extortion and causing persons to fear that violence would be used against them. He also stands charged with making threats, both orally and in writing, and misuse of electronic communications equipment.

In court, the human resources manager and lead partner of the WH Partners firm which previously employed Adruszaniec as a consultant, said he was dismissed after several complaints of drunkenness from clients and staff. There were other “behavioural issues” which led to the termination of the consultancy.

Soon after his dismissal, the law firm’s partners were bombarded with WhatsApp messages and emails from Adruszaniec. As time went by, not only the partners but also employees and clients started receiving communications from the man.

“He wrote certain emails which were perceived as threats,” lawyer Stefano Filletti said of the over 80 pages of emails and messages exhibited to the court.

Excerpts included: “You have unleashed me. You will get the revenge of a northern lad. I’m ready to go to jail all my life, I will do it.”

Adruszaniec is understood to have also made a threatening reference to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and sent a number of ‘disturbing’ photos to the victims.

The firm ended up beefing up its security arrangements after Adruszaniec sent a photo of a burned-down house near the locality where one of the partners resided was visible.

The accused then allegedly started to communicate with the wife of one of the partners, alleging adultery. He also took to writing to clients, giving them false information about the firm’s partners and employees and started demanding payment, threatening to write false stories to damage the firm’s reputation.

This all led to the partners to genuinely fear for the safety of their families, the court was told. The emails showed that the man was “not all there”, Filletti said.

The court was also informed that a relative of the accused, who is also a lawyer, had declined to act on the man’s behalf when contacted to resolve or control the issue, saying he didn’t want to be authorised to speak on Adruszaniec’s behalf.

The case continues on April 25. Lawyer Graziella Tanti is defence counsel. Lawyer Stefano Filletti is appearing as parte civile for the law firm. Inspector Clayton Camilleri is prosecuting.