After questioning the suspect, the public prosecutor decided to apply to the court for the provisional arrest of Włodzimierz Karpiński wz. with the charge of demanding and accepting a financial advantage, the spokesman for the national prosecutor’s office, prosecutor Łukasz Łapczyński, told PAP on Tuesday.
The investigators accuse Włodzimierz Karpiński (he agreed to give his name) “to accept a financial advantage related to the change in the specification of essential conditions for public procurement and to accept a financial advantage of almost PLN 5 million”.
According to prosecutor Łapczyński, the suspect did not admit to the alleged act and did not provide an explanation.
At this time, the public prosecutor’s office is not providing any further information about the case
– added.
Włodzimierz Karpiński, secretary of the capital Warsaw Warsaw, former finance minister in the PO government and former president of the municipal corporation – MPO – was detained on Monday at the request of the Silesian branch of the State Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice in an investigation into under more corruption and influence.
Karpiński was taken by the CBA early Monday afternoon to the headquarters of the PK’s Silesian branch. The spokesman for the National Prosecutor’s Office informed PAP that evening that Karpiński’s interrogation had ended.
Tuesday follow-up and decision on preventive measures
– added.
Włodzimierz Karpiński was charged with one charge, the client provided extensive explanations describing his participation in the process of achieving PLN 300 million in savings by the capital Warsaw thanks to waste stream management. He denied ever agreeing to Mr Rafał Baniak claiming influence in connection with Włodzimierz Karpiński’s position and he does not know that this will ever happen.
– Michał Królikowski, the detainee’s lawyer, commented on Monday.
“Surprised by the allegations”
Shortly before Karpiński’s questioning, the lawyer representing him stated in an interview with PAP that his client “expresses surprise at the allegations at this stage”. He also said that his client agrees to use his name and publish his image.
Karpiński was detained in an investigation in which former deputy finance minister Rafał Baniak was arrested in early February, as well as Artur P., Wojciech S. and Waldemar K. The former deputy finance minister and two entrepreneurs are suspected of arranging contracts worth PLN 600 million at Municipal Purification Company in Warsaw.
Baniak, in turn, was charged with leading an organized crime group and calling on influence. They are related to the conclusion of contracts with the Warsaw MPO worth PLN 600 million in exchange for bribes of almost PLN 5 million. By the court’s decision, Baniak and two entrepreneurs detained on the same day were arrested for three months. As his lawyer said, the former deputy minister did not admit to the alleged actions.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the corruption practice related to the conclusion of contracts for the management of waste from the capital lasted from August 2020 to August 2020.
Representatives of one of the capital groups interested in participating in waste treatment would enter into the Baniak Agreement.
As a result of corruption-related findings, the interested companies of the capital group have obtained significant orders from MPO in Warsaw. Subsequently, in 2021-2022, these companies managed waste from the capital Warsaw and received orders from MPO Warszawa for a total amount of almost PLN 600 million
PK said.
According to the investigators, in return for obtaining government contracts from the MPO, Baniak demanded a 5 percent bribe from the companies’ representatives on the value of these contracts.
To this end, Rafał B. and individuals who manage the capital group, i.e. Artur P. and Wojciech S., have created a mechanism that allows the withdrawal of millions of amounts intended for financial benefits
said the prosecutor’s office.
According to PK, the last tranche of the bribe worth PLN 300,000 PLN in cash was transferred to Baniak in December 2022, and in total, he and persons collaborating with him would receive financial benefits from January 2021 to December 2022 “worth not less than PLN 4 million 990 thousand”.
This money was handed over in cash each time during social gatherings
PK reported.
After Włodzimierz Karpiński’s arrest, Law and Justice representatives, as well as MPs from Solidarna Polska, demanded that an extraordinary session of the Warsaw Council be convened. The PiS council members have already submitted a motion on this. The chairman of the council, Ewa Malinowska-Grupińska, told PAP that “an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Warsaw will take place within the legal deadline” (seven days).
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mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce