EX-MINISTER BEHIND BARS
Many politicians of today’s opposition view the arrest and detention of a former member of the government of the Civic Platform-Polish People’s Party (PO-PSL) coalition as the beginning of a “witchhunt” that the ruling United Right intends to unleash. But prosecutors assure that they have proof of the former official’s criminal activity.
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ławomir Nowak, former minister of transportation in Donald Tusk’s government (2011-2013), was arrested on July 22. Public prosecutors accuse him of taking bribes during his work as president of the State Road Agency of Ukraine (Ukravtodor). Jacek P., who was also detained, was a Polish shareholder of one of Nowak’s companies. The third arrested person was Dariusz Z., former commander of the Polish elite commando force GROM. They have been accused of participation in an organized criminal group, money laundering and accepting financial benefits.
NOWAK ALLEGEDLY MADE THE AWARDING OF CONTRACTS FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE DEPENDENT ON PAYMENTS TO COMPANIES HE DESIGNATED: ONE IN CYPRUS AND ANOTHER IN POLAND. HE IS ALSO ACCUSED OF MONEY LAUNDERING. 8
Autumn 2020
Nowak and Jacek P. were arrested for three months. Dariusz Z. was placed under conditional arrest; if he paid 1 million zlotys, he would be released. So far, he has not paid the bail. The investigation in the case is being conducted simultaneously by Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) and the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw as well as the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in Kiev and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. It began in January 2019 in Poland, and in Ukraine was launched in November 2019. Evidence is being exchanged and actions are being coordinated by a specially established Polish-Ukrainian investigation team. Nowak (45) holds Ukrainian as well as Polish citizenship. He was the president of Ukravtodor in 2016-2019. The Prosecutor’s Office has accused the former politician of heading an organized criminal group during his work in Ukraine. Nowak allegedly made the awarding of contracts for road construction and maintenance dependent on payments to companies he designated: one in Cyprus and another in Poland. He is also accused of money laundering. According to our unofficial information, there are four specific tenders in which the former minister allegedly committed these crimes. On Aug. 3 the Prosecutor’s Office detained Aleksander D. in the former transport minister’s case. D. was a representative of a Polish company that applied for a contract for the construction and renovation of a road in Ukraine, Aleksandra Skrzyniarz, spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP). The Warsaw Voice
