Not a single zloty of the grants awarded in the NCBiR competition for two projects has been spent; the National Centre for Research and Development is urged to consider legal action, stated Adam Bielan, the leader of the Republican Party. He added that he would certainly pursue such action against anyone who had insulted him or his party.
The focus is on two grants granted under the NCBiR program “Fast Track – Digital Innovations.” The first grant, worth PLN 55 million, went to a company with a registered capital of PLN 5,000. The grant was approved ten days before the application deadline by a person under 30 years old, and the applicant’s submission earned the lowest score that still allowed funding. The second grant, valued at PLN 123 million and seen by opposition deputies as suspicious, was awarded to a Białystok-based company for a project on “undersea cybersecurity” that had been posting losses for two years.
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Opposition campaign
The Republican Party leader argued on TVP Info on Friday that the case reflects a massive campaign, effectively an election campaign, orchestrated by the opposition and some media outlets to influence public opinion.
According to Bielan, neither of the two projects contributed any funds to beneficiaries; not a single zloty flowed from the National Centre for Research and Development to the listed applicants in these cases.
He noted that opposition MPs often claim on commercial television that funds had disappeared.
Meanwhile, Dariusz Joński and Michał Szczerba, at separate press conferences, boasted that their actions prevented money from leaving the system, Bielan observed.
He pointed out that the first KO press conference at the NCBiR occurred on February 3, just after Radio Zet’s reporting.
The first questions from Radio Zet were sent to the NCBiR on January 16, and on January 9 — a week earlier — the NCBiR director ordered an internal audit of applications reviewed just before Christmas. The audit began immediately after the holidays, according to Bielan. He said he learned that one of the largest projects exceeded its limit; the accelerated project limit was EUR 20 million (about PLN 90 million), while the largest project had been submitted for PLN 123 million.
Added the MEP, the information came as the audit revealed questionable decisions by NCBiR staff.
Immediate action
Bielan emphasized that once the audit revealed improper decisions, “immediate disciplinary action was taken.”
Those responsible were released even before Joński and Szczerba knew of the case. Subsequently, a report was sent to the prosecutor’s office regarding a possible crime.
The report, prepared by the NCBiR director, triggered involvement by the CBA and the public prosecutor.
When some media outlets claimed money had flowed to the accused companies, Bielan argued that the NCBiR should consider legal action. He pledged to pursue such action in the coming days against individuals who had insulted him or his party.
Bielan also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing audit ordered by the Ministry of Funds. He added that structural reforms at the ministry could follow as a consequence.
Asked about deputy minister Jacek Żalek, a Republican Party activist who oversees the NCBiR, Bielan stated: for the avoidance of doubt, the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Grzegorz Puda, who is Żalek’s superior, has relieved him from overseeing the NCBiR until the internal audit is complete.
Call from the Acting Director of the National Center for Research and Development
On February 13, the head of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy fired the acting director of the NCBiR, Paweł Kuch, who had led the agency since August 2022, and appointed Jacek Orzeł as acting head. Orzeł previously led the security policy office at the ministry. On February 14, the deputy head announced that an inspection had been initiated to assess the “Fast Track – Digital Innovations” competition.
On February 15, the ministry informed that the NCBiR had notified the prosecutor about possible offenses related to the selection of a project under the “Fast Track – Digital Innovations” program. By February 22, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau had begun an inspection at the NCBiR.
It was reported that nearly PLN 55 million in subsidies under the “Fast Track” program could have been received by a company with a PLN 5,000 capital. The company was described as being led by a person under 30 in a private apartment, ten days before the deadline, with a request that earned the lowest possible score — 10 out of 16 points.
In response, the NCBiR stated that the applicant had not received a grant and that the project was only on the list of “projects recommended for co-financing,” which does not guarantee payment.
The center explained that before a financing contract is signed, the application undergoes additional, detailed verification by financial experts who assess the applicant’s ability to cover costs and the potential risks of irregularities in the project’s material or financial implementation and the composition of the research team.
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Source: wPolityce