The prosecutor's office supervised by Zbigniew Ziobro discontinued the investigation – it did not want to investigate the gigantic earnings in Orlen, including that of Daniel Obajtek. It concerns over eight million złoty spent without the so-called chimney act. Now, however, the prosecutor's office is returning to the case and has also become interested in Jacek Sasin, who supervised Orlen.
Civic Coalition MP Agnieszka Pomaska triumphs, because it is after her notification that the prosecutor's office will investigate the gigantic salaries paid to the management and supervisory boards of Orlen. – During Daniel Obajtek's time, the Orlen company bypassed the chimney act – the MP argues.
A year ago, Zbigniew Ziobro's prosecutor's office dismissed the case, now investigators are returning to it and writing about the possible “property damage of great value” to the Orlen company. This amounts to over PLN 8.3 million. This is how much more the members of the supervisory board and the management board of Orlen were supposed to earn than the law provides for. – This concerns salaries that were inflated in violation of the chimney act in force at that time – informs Piotr Skiba from the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.
The prosecutor's office is investigating the actions of not only Orlen, but also the former Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin. – Mr. Jacek Sasin did not fulfill his supervisory duties over State Treasury companies – says MP Agnieszka Pomaska.
Sasin – like all recent Law and Justice activists – speaks of a politicized prosecutor's office and the search for dirt on everyone from the previous government. – I expect that these politically supervised and politically conducted, inspired investigations will last – comments the former minister of state assets.
– We will explain every irregularity that took place in Orlen. And anyone who broke the law will be brought to justice – assures Borys Budka, former minister of state assets from the Civic Coalition.
In this particular investigation, members of the Orlen supervisory board face imprisonment, and the minister faces a financial penalty. – We are talking about a potential fine here – says Piotr Skiba. – Regardless of how loudly Mr. Obajtek or Mr. Sasin will shout that this is making a mountain out of a molehill, this is simply what should happen in a democratic state of law – says Magdalena Biejat, deputy speaker of the Senate from the Left.
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Daniel Obajtek under the scrutiny of investigators
There has been talk of huge earnings at Orlen for years. Daniel Obajtek has been accused of carefully concealing his assets. Orlen reports that last year alone Obajtek earned almost 3 million there, but since the general meeting of shareholders recently did not grant him a discharge, Obajtek will probably not receive a million-dollar bonus on leaving.
The new government announces that the consequences may one day reach Daniel Obajtek himself. – Even this escape to Brussels will not help him, because if the prosecutor's office and the court decide that this is money earned wrongly, he will have to return it – indicates Arkadiusz Marchewka, deputy minister of infrastructure from the Civic Coalition.
The prosecutor's office is already conducting a number of investigations into Orlen and Daniel Obajtek. They are examining the merger of Orlen with Lotos, the sale of part of the Gdańsk Refinery to the Saudis, the undercutting of fuel prices during the election campaign and the inept oil trade by Obajtek's nominee, who sympathizes with Hezbollah.
The prosecutor's office is determined. – Public officials cannot go unpunished – said Dariusz Korneluk, national prosecutor, at the end of April. – Holding Law and Justice and its most important people accountable is something that Poland needs very much – believes Michał Kamiński, deputy speaker of the Senate from Trzecia Droga.
Daniel Obajtek has become an MEP, so he is protected by immunity. If the prosecutor's office decides to charge him, it will have to ask the European Parliament for consent, but that shouldn't be a problem.
Main image source: Leszek Szymanski/PAP