Speaking before Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Tusk said any abuse of aid intended for victims of the devastating September 2024 floods would be investigated and punished.
"We will stamp out with hot iron every case of dishonest allocation of money intended for flood victims,” he said.
"Such things are unacceptable," he added.
The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) has been examining since April whether procedures were followed when support was granted to businesses affected by the floods.
The scrutiny comes amid a report by the Wirtualna Polska news website that PLN 4.5 million (EUR 1 billion, USD 1.2 million), in aid distributed by the Karkonosze Regional Development Agency (KARR) went to three entities in the same area.
Wirtualna Polska said four independent sources indicated that the three had not suffered flood damage. The recipients were reportedly linked to the agency’s deputy chief, an activist with Tusk’s governing Civic Coalition (KO).
Tusk said the government had anticipated the risk of irregularities because of the scale and speed at which emergency assistance had to be distributed.
"The question is only about the scale and the response of the state," he said. "For me, the most important thing is that state institutions work and that sooner or later every possible abuse is identified and punished."
Tusk said PLN 8 billion had been paid in flood assistance over the past two years, including 62,000 rapid payments to individuals and thousands of forms of support for businesses.
The opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has asked the CBA to establish who assessed applications for financial assistance, what documentation was used and whether relevant records have been secured.
PiS lawmakers also carried out an inspection at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration on Monday, seeking information about the government’s handling of reconstruction and assistance. They announced a similar inspection at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.
Following the Wirtualna Polska report, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology asked municipalities for complete lists of beneficiaries of the loan program.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in the southwestern city of Jelenia Góra also opened preliminary checks on Monday into possible irregularities in financial assistance following the September 2024 floods.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR/PAP