Three more people have been arrested in connection with a case involving irregularities at the state agency for strategic reserves, said prosecutor Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska of the National Prosecution Service’s press department.
The arrest took place on the orders of a prosecutor from the Silesian Organized Crime Department of the Polish State Police.
According to the National Public Prosecution Service, two people have been charged in an investigation into the use of influence in state institutions to regulate matters related to the activities of entities controlled by Paweł S.
Another person is a police officer who exceeded his powers by helping Paweł S. to withdraw money from banks for a total amount of approximately PLN 3.5 million. At the request of the public prosecutor, the court temporarily arrested one of the detainees, Eryk T. The man was charged with using influence in a public institution.
Since April 12 this year, the Silesian Organized Crime Department of the Polish Police has been conducting an investigation into irregularities in the activities of RARS. The investigation was launched on December 1, 2023 at the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw and entrusted to the CBA, the Masovian Customs and Tax Office and the Police Internal Affairs Bureau.
According to the PK, the basis for starting the procedure was the material collected by the CBA and two reports on suspicion of committing criminal offenses submitted by the Inspector General of Financial Information.
The National Public Prosecution Service has stated that the evidence collected justifies the suspicion that a number of abuses have been committed in the performance of its duties at RARS, including provisions that enable the agency to circumvent the procedures of the Public Procurement Act.
The above-mentioned irregularities mainly concerned the preferential treatment of selected bidders – entities that supplied goods to the State Agency for Strategic Reserves. These entities obtained prices for the goods sold to the Agency that were much higher than their actual market value. As it was established, the persons responsible for orders to other employees of the Agency indicated the entities with which a contract for the supply of goods should be signed, regardless of the price and quality of the product offered. These entities often had no experience in a particular type of activity and would have no chance of winning contracts under normal market conditions
– neo-PK reported.
It added that during the investigation, extensive documentation on RARS’ activities was collected, the contents of media secured in the case were inspected, more than 30 bank account histories were inspected and more than 50 witnesses were interviewed. Investigators also obtained a report from an internal audit conducted at RARS and a report from an investigation conducted at the Agency by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
On January 11, 2023, the State Agency for Strategic Reserves, represented by then-President Michał K., signed an agreement with the European Commission for the co-financing of a project related to the purchase of power generators for Ukraine. The OLAF report found irregularities in the spending of the funds from this EU grant and indicated that its estimated value was 91,972,360 euros.
– inform the neo-national prosecutor’s office.
So far, a total of 21 charges have been filed against eight people in the investigation, including the former president of RARS, Michał K., three other Agency officials, and Paweł S. The charges mainly concern participation in an organized criminal group, abuse of power by public officials, and money laundering and the use of influence in a public institution. The allegations include irregularities in the expenditure of funds by the Agency for a total amount of not less than PLN 340 million.
Three suspects are still in pre-trial detention in Poland. Michał K., who is subject to extradition proceedings, is in custody in Great Britain.
During the investigation, a number of tax audits were initiated on entities that may have been used in criminal activities. Seven such tax audits are currently being conducted. Steps were also taken to initiate an audit of the Agency by the Supreme Court of Audit
– neo-PK reported. It added that nine bank accounts that could have been used for money laundering as a result of the activities covered by the investigation had been frozen.
In order to secure the execution of fines and the forfeiture of property benefits obtained from crimes, investigators have made a number of decisions regarding the property security of suspects’ property. In total, real estate worth more than PLN 24 million and cash worth almost PLN 120 million were secured in this way.
As neo-PK notes, the investigation is ongoing. Further actions are planned, including the arrest and prosecution of other people. The arrests took place on November 7 this year.
tkwl/PAP
READ ALSO:
– The creator of the brand ‘Red is Bad’, Paweł S., will remain in custody until January 28. The court in Katowice decided this
— The Red is Bad store has suspended its operations! Reasons include bank account closure and difficulty opening a new account
Source: wPolityce