On Monday, Polish news outlet Wirtualna Polska reported that shortly before the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) government left office, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the sale of a 160-hectare plot to the deputy head of the Dawtona food company.
The land lies along the planned route of a high-speed rail line connecting Warsaw to the Central Transport Hub (CPK). Deputy Infrastructure Minister Maciej Lasek later confirmed that the case had been referred to prosecutors.
Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek told TVN24 that the investigation has been ongoing since September, adding that prosecutors must determine whether the sale involved any corruption or abuse of authority.
“The situation was absurd,” Żurek said. “Everyone already knew that various works related to the construction of the CPK were planned on this privately leased property.”
The politician explained that the National Agricultural Support Center (KOWR), the state agency responsible for managing farmland, should have refused the sale, since the government had already launched a program to acquire land for the Central Transport Hub.
Żurek added that prosecutors are investigating whether KOWR officials were misled by internal staff or approved the sale deliberately, possibly under false pretenses.
“There are claims from former landowners seeking to reclaim property across Poland,” he said. “It appears someone falsely stated that the land was being returned to a family, when in fact it went to a private speculator.”
The minister stressed that he cannot disclose the identities of suspects but noted that investigators are tracking both the parties who conducted the transaction and those who profited from it.
Earlier on Monday, Żurek posted on social media that the probe was launched due to suspected abuse of public office by KOWR officials acting “within a short time frame and according to a premeditated plan to gain financial advantage.” He noted that the act is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
“We did not inform the public earlier because prosecutors needed time to gather evidence and build a strong case,” Żurek wrote.
“The circumstances rightly raise serious doubts and public outrage. We will check everything thoroughly - from the first document to the last signature.”
The current government has promised to audit several land transactions from the previous administration as Poland prepares the next stage of the Central Transport Hub, a multibillion-euro project designed to connect Warsaw with the rest of Europe via a new airport and high-speed rail network.
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Source: Wirtualna Polska/TVN24/X/@w_zurek/@Prok_Okreg_Wawa