Post by Jaga on Jul 24, 2012 2:45:12 GMT -7
Tapes have been found that show how farmer party members benefited from EU projects. They hired their whole families and divided money between them....
Agricultural corruption case opened
Dariusz Slepokura, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, informed the Polish Press Agency that public officials being investigated could face up to ten years in prison if they are found to have “exceeded” their powers in seeking “financial or personal gain” against the public good.
Slepokura alleged that there were “numerous financial irregularities” concerning payments made to board-members of state-owned grain company Elewarr.
Minister Marek Sawicki of junior coalition partner the Polish Peasants' Party (PSL) was compelled to resign on Wednesday, after allegations of cronyism were leaked to the press.
The affair concerns alleged nepotism and misuse of public funds involving the governmental Agriculture Market Agency (ARR), which works in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture. The agency, which owns several agricultural companies, Elewarr among them, is dominated by PSL members.
Among other tasks, the ARR distributes state and EU funds for agricultural enterprises.
The affair began when a video was leaked to the press in which Wladyslaw Lukasik, a former head of the governmental Agriculture Market Agency, made claims of malpractice in conversation with Wladyslaw Serafin, chairman of the National Union of Farmers and Farmers' Associations (KZRKiOR).Elewarr was specifically accused of financial irregularities in the leaked tape.
Andrzej Smietanko, the managing director of the company has already been dismissed from his post.
According to Dariusz Slepokura, “numerous financial irregularities” concerning payments made to members of the board of Elewarr were revealed by an inspection by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) covering the period 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2010.
However, Slepokura said that these irregularities were still occurring in 2012, “in spite of the fact that the Agriculture Market Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture had known about this for over a year.”
Nevertheless, both outgoing Minister of Agriculture Marek Sawicki and Andrzej Smietanko, former head of Elewarr, have protested their innocence.
An inspection of Elewarr's offices began on Thursday, conducted by Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), and the investigation is expected to last until 19 September. (nh)
www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/106765,Agricultural-corruption-case-opened
Agricultural corruption case opened
Dariusz Slepokura, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, informed the Polish Press Agency that public officials being investigated could face up to ten years in prison if they are found to have “exceeded” their powers in seeking “financial or personal gain” against the public good.
Slepokura alleged that there were “numerous financial irregularities” concerning payments made to board-members of state-owned grain company Elewarr.
Minister Marek Sawicki of junior coalition partner the Polish Peasants' Party (PSL) was compelled to resign on Wednesday, after allegations of cronyism were leaked to the press.
The affair concerns alleged nepotism and misuse of public funds involving the governmental Agriculture Market Agency (ARR), which works in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture. The agency, which owns several agricultural companies, Elewarr among them, is dominated by PSL members.
Among other tasks, the ARR distributes state and EU funds for agricultural enterprises.
The affair began when a video was leaked to the press in which Wladyslaw Lukasik, a former head of the governmental Agriculture Market Agency, made claims of malpractice in conversation with Wladyslaw Serafin, chairman of the National Union of Farmers and Farmers' Associations (KZRKiOR).Elewarr was specifically accused of financial irregularities in the leaked tape.
Andrzej Smietanko, the managing director of the company has already been dismissed from his post.
According to Dariusz Slepokura, “numerous financial irregularities” concerning payments made to members of the board of Elewarr were revealed by an inspection by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) covering the period 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2010.
However, Slepokura said that these irregularities were still occurring in 2012, “in spite of the fact that the Agriculture Market Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture had known about this for over a year.”
Nevertheless, both outgoing Minister of Agriculture Marek Sawicki and Andrzej Smietanko, former head of Elewarr, have protested their innocence.
An inspection of Elewarr's offices began on Thursday, conducted by Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), and the investigation is expected to last until 19 September. (nh)
www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/106765,Agricultural-corruption-case-opened