The scope of irregularities discovered as a result of audits conducted in the PZU group is significant, the PZU press office reported on Monday. The company does not disclose details, explaining that the documents are “protected business secrets”. As TVP journalists have established, the PZU group audit revealed irregularities and mechanisms of money being siphoned out of the group's companies for political purposes by people associated with PiS.
“The audit results are internal documents and are protected by business secrets. (…) We can only add that the scope of various types of irregularities detected – of a legal, formal or ethical nature – is significant,” the PZU press office reported.
Numerous irregularities
It was added that the audits in the PZU group “were cross-sectional in nature, covering many business, investment, marketing, HR and legal issues that were subject to detailed control and verification.”
As reported on Monday by the TVP.info portal, the audit of the PZU group revealed irregularities and mechanisms of money being withdrawn from the group's companies for political purposes by people associated with PIS.
Money from the company's foundation supported the election campaign
The documents obtained by journalists from “19.30” – and described on Monday by the TVP.info portal – are dated August 20. They contain further conclusions from the audit of PZU Group companies. The auditors looked at the expenses of the Alior Bank Foundation, which is one of the companies of the national champion.
The portal quotes a fragment of the audit report at the Alior Bank Foundation: “The analysis indicates that just before the 2023 elections to the Sejm lost by PiS, over PLN 1.35 million was withdrawn from it. Due to the coincidence of the dates of transfers with the elections, part of the amount – approx. PLN 300,000 could have been consumed for the purposes of the election campaign, the remaining funds could have constituted capital in the event of an expected defeat.”
According to the portal, “the foundation was established in May 2022. It is currently in liquidation by decision of the new Alior management. Auditors estimated that during its existence it made donations in the amount of PLN 3.5 million.“.
High earnings and suspicious expenses
“The authors of the report note that the remuneration of the board amounted to PLN 500,000 per year. We checked the foundation's statute – the board consists of 2 or 3 people. According to its financial report for 2022, the board consisted of two people at that time” – we read on the portal. The portal wrote that the auditors noted that the main beneficiaries of the foundation's expenses were volunteer fire brigades (PLN 260,000) and institutions associated with the Catholic Church (over PLN 300,000). “Meanwhile, the foundation's goals listed in the statute, starting from the first, include education and education, health care, physical culture and sports, social assistance, including support for poor families” – it was indicated.
Three donations
As the portal reports, citing the authors of the report, “at least three donations with entities outside the above-mentioned groups are astonishing”. “Half a million zlotys went to an entity belonging to SKOKs – the Association for the Promotion of Financial Education. The second tranche of the donation (PLN 350,000) went to the beneficiary in the election week, the agreement was signed on October 9 with the payment deadline of October 16 at the latest, the transfer was made two days after signing” – it was added. The auditors mention that at the moment the role of the Association is not clear. Jacek Sasinwho as the then head of MAP supervised Alior Bank, and which was associated by the media with SKOKs. According to the portal Local Tourist Organization Integra received PLN 150,000, although – according to the publication's auditors – it practically did not exist. Another transaction indicated by the auditors was PLN 700,000 for the Poloniki Foundation and the Polska 360 Foundation – the same person was on the boards of both entities. “The auditors also reviewed the marketing expenses of PZU Zdrowie. It was noted that there was a jump in costs for promotional gadgets between 2022 and 2023 from PLN 300 to 500 thousand” – it was noted.
Huge salaries at PZU
In July, the Annual General Meeting of PZU SA did not grant a discharge to the members of the company’s previous management board for the performance of their duties in the 2023 financial year. The Supervisory Board recommended this decision, justifying it with information indicating a number of irregularities in the company last year.
The PZU Group's annual report, published in April 2024, summarizes the remuneration and other employee benefits paid to members of the insurer's management board.
The document shows that she earned the most in 2023 Margaret Sadurska – PLN 2.53 million in total. This amount includes the base salary, part of the variable remuneration for the years 2019-2022 and non-cash benefits granted by PZU and its subsidiaries.
Second place went to a former member of the company's management board. Maciej Rapkiewicz, whose total remuneration reached PLN 2.454 million, and the podium is closed by Tomasz Kulik (also a former member of the PZU management board) with the amount of PLN 2.449 million. Only the fourth place in the ranking is occupied by the former president Beata Kozłowska-Chyła (PLN 2.424 million).
Margaret Cat earned PLN 2.312 million in PZU last year, former head CBA Ernest Bejda – PLN 2.292 million, Krzysztof Kozlowski – PLN 2.133 million, and Piotr Nowak – PLN 1.871 million.
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