Irregularities in PFN. Notification to the prosecutor's office. Journalist Zakład Zakt24 Jan Kunert comments

On Friday, during a press conference, the current management of the Polish National Foundation announced that a notification had been made in the national prosecutor's office about the possibility of committing a crime. It applies to the actions of former members of the PFN Board and high-level managers and include identified irregularities, which in the opinion of PFN may fulfill the features of prohibited acts and applies to 2017-2024. – The damage we estimated is over PLN 30 million – pointed out the president of the Foundation's board Maciej Szudek.

Read more: “It's a pity for over PLN 30 million”. There is a notification to the prosecutor's office

On the same day, the journalist Zaktwąza Jan Kunert referred to the case on TVN24, who from September 2017 examined, to whom, how much and for which the Foundation paid, due to her public funds. At that time, in 2017, Kunert turned to the foundation about the scan of the register of signed contracts. The organization refused. The journalist went to court. He did not agree with the foundation's position first April 10, 2018 Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw, and then May 18, 2021 – legally – Supreme Administrative Court.

During this case (but also others), the foundation presented a similar argument. She claimed, among others, that she was not an entity obliged to provide public information and a private entity, he does not have public funds, the information requested is the secret of the entrepreneur, and he simply does not have the requested register. Kunert described the situation around PFN in detail in 2021 in the text “Polish Non -Tarestna Foundation”.

Read also: The Polish National Foundation lost all matters before the Supreme Administrative Court regarding openness

Kunert now in the TVN24 studio was asked if the Friday conference was a surprise to him, he replied that “it could be expected”. – Over the years, journalists reached various information, described the activities of the Polish National Foundation, described the irregularities they discovered there, so it can be said that this is absolutely not a surprise that the new authorities came, the new board and are now doing an overview of expenses from previous years – he assessed.

He added that “it was a bit”. Kunert reminded that the beginnings of PFN took place in mid -2016. – It was still the government of Beata Szydło. There was a famous conference at which PFN was announced – he said. He explained that the presented project was to “celebrate the Polish name in the world”.

– In time, this practice blurred with the assumptions. There were a lot of examples of various irregularities that we described over these years, which is a pity, because the project promised to be promising. However, you could have reservations from the very beginning, because it was a government project – he said.

As he noted, the Polish National Foundation has maintained over these years of activity that it is not really “an NGO or such a governmental entity”, but a more private entity. – But the government announced the whole project – he emphasized.

The journalist of Zasta24 also pointed out that a key issue appeared at the conference of the current PFN Board, i.e. a discussion about public money, because the foundation was and is still financing from state -owned companies.

– The companies transferred less than PLN 100 million to the PFN budget annually. As we heard at the conference, new authorities, like me, are convinced that these are public funds, so the funds of us all, “he said.

Kunert reported that financial resources were transferred, among others for the “Righteous Courts” billboard campaign. – We would like to remind you that it was the time when the United Right government “Przembelle” justice and the Polish National Foundation did such a great action slandering judges. She described them with “extraordinary kasth” – he mentioned. He added that at the conference we could hear that it cost over eight million zlotys.

>> PLN 8.4 million for “Righteous Courts”, half a million for board salaries. We know PFN finances

The journalist also referred to the fate of the bought one for one million euros of the yacht with the inscription “I Love Poland”.

– He was sold. It was not known for a long time for how much it was bought, because the Polish foundation did not want to reveal it. He was also supposed to praise the Polish name, swimming all over the world, taking part in various regatta. At some point, he somehow seriously broke and was excluded from use, “Kunerrt said.

As he reminded, “it was not without controversy.” – at the beginning of the start of this project, because he was to be involved in it Mateusz Kusznierewiczthere wasn't getting along there. Finally, the yacht sailed without the famous Polish sailor. He was actually successful. However, how effective Polish promotion was it? he asked.

Kunert also stated that the lack of transparency of PFN in connection with the spending of public money is “one of the main sins of the Polish National Foundation”. – It can be said properly that the organization only revealed what she wanted to reveal. And if someone asked, whether journalists or citizens, they stood perch and did not reveal it – he said.