Ex-spy libelled over Sikorski

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33676, 28 October 1974, Page 5

Ex-spy libelled over Sikorski

1 N 7.. P. A.-Reuter —Copyright

LONDON

TTie West German national newspaper, “Die Welt.” is to pay damages to a former British secret agent for publishing a letter saying he had organised lhe murder of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, war-time Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-exile.

The British High Court was told that “Die Welt” had agreed to pay “substantial libel damages" to the former agent, Mr Bickham Sweet-Escott, aged 67. The amount was not specified. Mr Sweet-Escott’s lawyer, Mr Bryan Anns, told the [court that “Die Welt” had [also agreed to meet the ex-

agent’s legal costs in pressing his libel suit. The suit dates back to “Die Welt’s” publication of a letter by the West German playwright, Rolf Hochhuth claiming that Mr SweetEscott arranged for the crash of a British Air Force plane carrying Genera) Sikorski from Gibraltar to London on July 4, 1943. The aircraft crashed- into the Mediterranean. Mr Anns said “Die Welt" had publicly stated that there was no basis for the theory that Mr Sweet-Escott or anyone else had contrived ’ the death of General ’Sikorski. 1 Almost exactly a year ago, [Mr Sweet-Escott won libel damages from another West German publication, the nat- ’ ional news weekly, “Der [Spiegel,” for carrying an [article by Hochhuth which made similar allegations. [ Then, too, the amount of 'damages was not disclosed.