A bison enclosure under the microscope of the prosecutor's office. An investigation begins after a TVN24 report

He discussed the circumstances of the construction of the bison enclosure in the Racibórz district of Brzezie reportage “Black and white”, which can be watched on TVN24 GO, titled “Prince on the farm”as the member of Sovereign Poland, Michał Woś, was described in this material, who in his political career was, among others, Minister of the Environment and Deputy Minister of Justice.

It contained allegations of abuse in connection with the implementation of the investment nepotism. The new forest district authorities stated in a report that the farm – instead of the estimated PLN 5 million – cost PLN 27 million, i.e. as much as the forest district's annual revenues, and the Forest Education Center, which was to be built for less than PLN 1 million, cost PLN 13 million. As reported by the journalists of “Black and White”, the recruitment for the position of farm manager was won by the director of Woś's parliamentary office. The MP's wife also took part in the recruitment process for a position in the forest district, but ultimately resigned from this position. The report also stated that the decision to locate the farm was made by prof. Wanda Olech from SGGW – she had two locations to choose from, both in Racibórz.

SEE THE REPORT “BLACK ON WHITE” PT. “PRINCE ON THE FARM” ON TVN24 GO:

After the reportage was broadcast, the Gliwice prosecutor's office initiated an investigation into the matter. As Karina Spruś, spokeswoman for the Gliwice prosecutor's office, announced on Thursday, the investigation covering the period from July 28, 2022 to June 29, 2023 will be conducted to determine whether the forester of the Rybnik Forest District has exceeded his powers.

A notification in this matter was submitted by the current forester of the Rybnik Forest District in connection with, in his opinion, illegal use of the finances of the Polish Forests for purposes unrelated to forest management. This concerns the decision to “wasteful expenditure of public funds in the total amount of nearly PLN 27 million in connection with the unjustified decision regarding the construction of a bison enclosure” in Brzezie and the construction of the Forest Education Center building with a multi-functional shelter. According to the notification, needs in this area were not identified, there was no economic justification, and the value of the investment was deliberately underestimated so that the procedure would allow the selection of a specific contractor.

“The notification of the crime and the materials attached to it show that the irregularities occurred in connection with the decision made by the forester of the Rybnik Forest District to build a bison enclosure in the area of ​​Brzezie, Racibórz commune. The above-mentioned person was to deliberately understate the value of the investment so that the procedure would allow for the selection of a specific contractor, and then, by changing the contract, the scope of the investment was expanded,” the prosecutor's office said.

The second thread of the investigation concerns the recruitment of employees for the positions of senior bison officer and forest education officer. “The inspection carried out in the Rybnik Forest District revealed circumstances indicating non-transparent recruitment aimed at selecting specific candidates. Moreover, the recruitment conditions included requirements that had no substantive justification, and requirements that should have been obligatory were waived,” described prosecutor Spruś.

The notification also included information that in 2022, the Rybnik Forest District co-financed three investments carried out jointly with the Racibórz poviat from the Forest Fund. They involved the renovation or modernization of district roads. The total value of the subsidy was over PLN 4.3 million, which constituted approximately 80 percent of the investment value, while none of these roads was related to forest management.

The investigation into this case was entrusted to the Central Anticorruption Bureau in Katowice.

MP Woś commented on the report in a statement posted on Facebook. “For TVN, it is a scandal to effectively perform the work of an MP. Geniuses,” he wrote and repeated that the location of the farm was indicated by Prof. Olech, the best bison specialist in Poland.

“New pens are needed to improve the genetic pool of these animals. They are already struggling with genetic diseases, which leads to protests during shooting. The Brzesko bisons are doing great. In our times, they were transported safely. Unfortunately, the new forest management during transport between One bison has already been strangled to death in its pens. These people are bunglers,” added the politician.

He also emphasized that his wife had never worked in the State Forests for a single moment. He also confirmed that she had sent her CV to “hundreds of places, including the forest district that was looking for a teacher for the Forest Education Center.” “However, she chose a teaching position in a primary school, in line with her passion and competences,” he added.

“The Education Center and Zagroda Żubrów could bring many benefits to the region and nature if it were not for the political bandits of PO and P2050. They deliberately keep the facility closed and do not rebuild the shelter destroyed by the hurricane under the new management, just so that TVN can create such false materials “It is a scandal that the facility has been closed for half a year because the inept authorities are unable to clean up the collapsed gazebo and build a new one,” wrote Woś.