Six detained over 2014 privatisation of chemical firm in Poland

Those detained include a Treasury minister in the previous government of the Civic Platform (PO) and the Polish People’s Party (PSL), according to the CBA’s Piotr Kaczorek.

Kaczorek told Polish Radio’s IAR agency that an ongoing investigation into suspected irregularities in the privatisation of Ciech concerned alleged abuse of power for financial gain and substantial damage to Treasury interests, among other possible offences.

Prosecutors from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the southern city of Katowice are coordinating the investigation, Kaczorek said.

In addition to the former deputy minister, who has only been identified as "Paweł T" under Polish privacy laws, those detained include his counsellor, a former Treasury Ministry director and another ministry official, as well as two experts from a company that evaluated Ciech before privatisation, according to Kaczorek.

Over the last two years, CBA officers have secured a variety of documents in several companies as well as documents from individuals working with the Treasury Ministry on the privatisation of Ciech in 2014, IAR reported.

The chemical giant was privatised in June 2014. KI Chemistry, a company controlled by tycoon Jan Kulczyk, bought a controlling stake in it from the government at the time.

Deputy Justice Minister Michał Wójcik told public broadcaster Polish Radio 1 on Monday that the detentions in the case showed that "there were irregularities at the intersection of business and politics" when the previous government of Donald Tusk was in power in Poland.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR