Farmer Arrested After Plowing Up Freshly Paved Asphalt in Gliwice, Ombudsman Steps In
A 60-year-old sober farmer in Gliwice used a tractor and plow to destroy roughly 200 meters of newly laid asphalt on Friday, claiming ownership of the road, leading to his arrest and an official...
A 60-year-old sober farmer in Gliwice used a tractor and plow to destroy roughly 200 meters of newly laid asphalt on Friday, claiming ownership of the road, leading to his arrest and an official inquiry by the Human Rights Defender’s office.
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Tractor Driver Stops Fresh Paving Work
The high-profile incident occurred on Friday when a 60-year-old farmer drove his Ursus tractor onto newly laid asphalt on Rybacka Street and plowed approximately 200 meters. The man told police officers that he is the owner of the road and that the ongoing work there is illegal, while also threatening to damage the surface again.
Law enforcement officers arrested him in the act, while construction workers used a road roller and a loader to block the tractor and prevent further destruction. The farmer was sober at the time of his arrest, and his tractor—which lacked mandatory third-party liability insurance—was towed to a police impound lot.
Court Orders Pre-Trial Detention
On Sunday, the Gliwice-Zachód District Prosecutor’s Office charged the farmer with the destruction of property of significant value and requested a three-month pre-trial detention from the Gliwice District Court, which the court approved, exposing the man to up to 10 years in prison.
On Monday, the Gliwice Regional Court issued a statement explaining that the pre-trial detention was justified by the severity of the potential prison sentence and the risk that the farmer might take action to avoid it, noting that the damages were estimated at approximately 300,000 PLN.
Ombudsman Office Launches Investigation
The office of Ombudsman Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram announced on Wednesday that local deputy ombudsman Aleksandra Wentkowska initiated an ex officio explanatory proceeding to examine whether human rights and freedoms might have been violated regarding the pre-trial detention of the 60-year-old.
The deputy ombudsman asked District Court President Danuta Wocław-Klyta to provide a justification for the temporary arrest ruling, along with information on whether the decision is final and what stage the case is currently in.
City Hall and Municipal Roads Authority Confirm Land Ownership
Gliwice Mayor Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka posted a video on Facebook on Friday showing the farmer plowing the fresh asphalt, noting that this was not his first time destroying public property and emphasizing that both the asphalt layer and the road subbase were ruined.
The Municipal Roads Authority in Gliwice reported that the local government has owned the land where Rybacka Street is located since 2001, as indicated by an entry in the land and mortgage register following a division requested by the property’s owner.
The authority stressed that the person who requested the division of the two plots and the separation of land designated for the road was the exact same farmer who questioned the municipality’s rights to the area a few days ago and plowed up a section of the newly finished surface.
