Daniel Obajtek, former president of Orlen, was interrogated on Thursday by the auditors of the Supreme Audit Office. For nearly four hours he answered questions about the merger of Orlen with Lotos, which was investigated by the Supreme Audit Office.
Former head of Orlen, and currently an MEP PISappeared in front of the building of the Supreme Audit Office before 10 a.m. As announced Daniel Obajtek was to answer questions about the merger of Orlen and Lotos and the agreement on the sale of shares in the Gdańsk Refinery to Aramco.
Before the hearing, the PiS MEP assured journalists that he was “completely calm.” – Today, Orlen and its management are the gravediggers of the Polish company – he said. When asked about reports of irregularities at Orlen during his presidency, he accused journalists of spreading propaganda and ignorance.
Daniel ObajtekMarcin Obara/PAP
After less than four hours, Obajtek left the Supreme Audit Office's headquarters. – I am very satisfied, very calm. The merger process was very well justified. NIK auditors were in Orlen and checked. There were many questions, I answered them all with great pleasure, he told reporters.
– There was no underpricing (of Lotos sales). It's in the documents. NIK has prepared a preliminary report and is now checking it, he said.
Merger of Orlen with Lotos
The global fuel giant Saudi Aramco has owned 1/3 of the Gdańsk Refinery since November 2022. The sale of part of the shares in the Lotos refinery in Gdańsk was one of the European Commission's conditions for the takeover of Lotos by Orlen and the merger. The Saudis paid PLN 1 billion 150 million for the transaction.
In July 2023 Supreme Audit Office prepared a report regarding, among others, merger of Orlen with Lotos after inspection by the Ministry of State Assets. According to the Supreme Audit Office, Saudi Aramco paid at least PLN 5 billion lessthan this part of the Lotus was actually worth.
Main photo source: TVN24