Polish prosecutors dropped charges against Roman Giertych without fully investigating €230,000 in funds transferred from a Liechtenstein entity linked to the Polnord case.
Liechtenstein Transfers and the Unexamined Thread
Prosecutors dismissed charges against Roman Giertych, failing to investigate a key financial lead in the Polnord case – a Liechtenstein entity through which approximately 900,000 złoty (approximately €230,000) reached his law firm.
Investigators did not question individuals formally connected to the structure, obtain documents from Liechtenstein, or verify connections to foreign companies, raising serious doubts about the thoroughness of the investigation.
Utriusque Iuris Anstalt: The Core of the Matter
The central entity is Utriusque Iuris Anstalt, registered in Vaduz in April 2012. Its board included an employee of Giertych’s law firm, a Liechtenstein lawyer, and the Panamanian company Swiss Protecta.
Swiss Protecta was represented by Victoria Beninger, also known as Viktoria Olegovna Kriażeva – a figure active in international circles of companies established in jurisdictions offering ownership anonymity.
A Multi-Layered Structure for Obscuring Funds
The structure involved multiple layers – Poland, Liechtenstein, and Panama – complicating the determination of the funds’ true origin. Such structures are known in financial analysis as “layering” mechanisms, designed to obscure the source of funds.
Monthly Transfers Coinciding with the Polnord Affair
Specific data reveals monthly transfers of 120,000 złoty to Giertych’s law firm from April to October 2013. One transfer amounted to 50,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to approximately 170,000 złoty, totaling around 900,000 złoty.
Connection to Polnord and New Industry Payments
The timing of these amounts is not coincidental. Documents related to earlier transactions surrounding Polnord show an identical monthly payment of 120,000 złoty linked to settlements concerning the company New Industry.
The Polnord Mechanism: Diverting 96.2 Million Zloty
The case is set against the backdrop of the Polnord investigation, which revealed the diversion of 96.2 million złoty through various methods. A key scheme involved trading receivables against the city of Warsaw – initially transferred to companies controlled by Sebastian J., then repurchased by Polnord for tens of millions of złoty.
Sebastian J. (“Foka”) and the Flow of Funds
Analysis of the transfers indicates that Sebastian J. initiated most of the payments from the Utriusque Iuris Anstalt account to Giertych’s law firm, suggesting he controlled both the domestic and foreign elements of the fund flow.
Obscuring the Origin Through Foreign Entities
Formally, the funds originated from a foreign entity, hindering their connection to previous operations in Poland. This mechanism effectively separated the source of the money from its recipient.
Victoria Beninger’s Russian Connections and International Network
Victoria Beninger’s international connections add another dimension to the case. She appears in numerous companies operating in tax havens and was involved in structures used by clients from Russia, demonstrating experience in creating complex financial constructions with a global reach.
Prosecutorial Lapses Before Case Closure
Despite these circumstances, prosecutors did not question the law firm employee who formally served on the company’s board, nor did they question Barbara Giertych. Furthermore, they did not request legal assistance from Liechtenstein, despite it being the location of the transferring entity.
Case Dismissal in January 2025
In January 2025, investigators concluded that Roman Giertych had not committed the alleged offenses or that there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime, leading to the dismissal of the proceedings against him. The case against other suspects remains suspended.