The Polish news portal Onet has reported that nearly PLN 23 million (approximately USD 6 million) allocated by the Prime Minister's Office was improperly funneled to individuals closely linked to the then ruling Law and Justice party (PiS).
The campaign, initiated in March 2022 by then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was intended to mobilize public and international opposition against Russian aggression.
However, Poland’s Supreme Audit Office, which is responsible for supervising government expenditures, has signaled potential misappropriation of funds. An official announcement is expected in June, detailing the findings from their audit of the campaign's financial management by the state-owned Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK).
Without a bidding process, BGK selected a relatively obscure agency, Tak Bardzo Group (TBG), to execute the campaign. TBG is headed by Paulina Pałka, wife of PiS-linked Piotr Pałka, a former vice president of Polish Television (TVP) and an associate in the Presidential Office. The agency received PLN 22.84 million for the campaign.
Further scrutiny revealed that subsequent contracts were awarded to other companies connected to the ruling party's circle, including 1450 and Ixodes, where Radosław Tadajewski serves as president. Tadajewski is a businessman from Lower Silesia, allegedly associated with a group of PiS politicians and businessmen colloquially known as the "Wrocław arrangement," Onet reported.
These revelations have prompted the Supreme Audit Office to prepare a formal notification to the prosecutor's office, hinting at a potential legal battle over the misuse of public funds.
(rt/jh)
Source: Onet, IAR