The Court of Appeal in Katowice accepted the prosecutor’s complaint and extended the temporary detention of former finance minister Włodzimierz Karpiński, suspected of corruption, until August 26, the State Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday.
The Court of Appeal in Katowice accepted the complaint of the Prosecutor of the Silesian Section of the Department of Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice concerning the temporary arrest of the former Finance Minister Włodzimierz K. and extended the period of provisional detention in accordance with the request of the public prosecutor until August 26, 2023
– reported the press department of the PC.
“The fear of subterfuge is extremely strong.”
As PK recalled in the course of the investigation, the Katowice-Wschód District Court, at the request of the prosecution, arrested the suspect, and later the District Court extended the application of this preventive measure, but for a shorter period than requested by the investigators. The prosecutor appealed against this decision, which was granted by the Court of Appeal in Katowice, which resulted in the extension of the pre-trial detention in accordance with the prosecutor’s original request.
According to the motivation of the Court of Appeal in Katowice, the fear of procedural collusion on the part of Włodzimierz K. is extremely high, as he has already taken actions that have the characteristics of obstructing the investigation. Another reason for the use of pre-trial detention, as indicated by the Court of Appeal in Katowice, is the heavy prison sentence that Włodzimierz K.
– reported the press department.
The former minister was arrested on February 27 of this year. Earlier, on February 1, Rafał Baniak, who was undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Finance from 2011-2015, was arrested at the request of the public prosecutor, even after hearing the charges. and in agreement with other people, including Baniak, consisting of demanding a financial advantage from the president of one of the companies in the amount of 2.5 percent. the value of government contracts obtained from Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Czyszczania in Warsaw in exchange for a change in the specification of essential terms of government contracts.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the value of the orders was almost PLN 600 million. The allegations include Karpiński’s receipt of nearly PLN 5 million. According to the findings of the investigation, the corrupt acts took place from April 2020 to December 2022 in Warsaw. Karpiński was then the president of the Municipal Purification Society in the capital Warsaw and then the secretary of the capital Warsaw. He could face a prison sentence of up to 12 years.
According to the findings of the prosecutor’s office, there was a corruption practice from August 2020 to January 2023, which consisted of providing material benefits of great value in connection with the conclusion of waste management contracts in Warsaw.
Representatives of one of the capital groups interested in participating in waste management concluded an agreement with Rafał B. As a result of corruption-related findings, the interested companies of the capital group received 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.
As the researchers add, obtaining these orders was possible thanks to the proposal of Baniak, former chairman of the Council of Employers of Poland.
The findings of the investigation show that Rafał B., in exchange for obtaining government contracts from the municipal purification company of the capital Warsaw, demanded 5 percent from the company’s representatives. bribes on the value of these orders. 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
added the prosecution.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce