Former President Duda Accompanied by ZEN.COM Founder at Armaments Agency Meeting

Former Polish President Andrzej Duda met with the head of the Armaments Agency, General Artur Kuptel, while accompanied by Dawid Rożek, the founder of the fintech company ZEN.COM, prompting a security report to the services.

Duda’s Role at ZEN.COM

ZEN.COM, established in 2018 and registered in Lithuania, offers a mobile application for payments and accounts in multiple currencies, often referred to in the press as the “Polish Revolut.” Last year, following the conclusion of his presidency, Andrzej Duda joined the company’s supervisory board.

In a statement to Puls Biznesu, the former president explained that he intends to use his experience to support technological innovation. He stated that his collaboration with ZEN.COM, a company with Polish roots and global ambitions, aligns with this goal.

The Unscheduled Meeting

According to reports by Rzeczpospolita, Andrzej Duda met with General Artur Kuptel, head of the Armaments Agency, earlier this week. Although the meeting was intended to be a courtesy visit, Dawid Rożek appeared alongside Duda despite no prior notification. The parties reportedly discussed unmanned aerial vehicles potentially intended for the Polish Armed Forces.

Official Response and Security Protocols

Deputy Minister of National Defense Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka confirmed that General Kuptel submitted a formal report to the security services regarding the meeting and its participants. She stated that the general was unaware that Duda would be accompanied by others and that upon realizing this, the general requested that those accompanying the former president leave, conducting the remainder of the meeting solely with Duda.

Sobkowiak-Czarnecka emphasized that while the Armaments Agency oversees contracts totaling 700 billion PLN, all established procedures were followed in this instance. Duda declined to provide a comment on the matter.

Concerns Regarding ZEN.COM

In April, TVN24 reported that ZEN.COM allegedly processed payments for illegal gambling sites, a matter currently under investigation by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. No charges have been filed, and the company maintains that it is a regulated provider cooperating with law enforcement.

Additionally, the Bank of Lithuania fined ZEN.COM 1.8 million euros in December for violations related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations. The central bank cited inadequate internal controls and insufficient risk assessment systems. ZEN.COM maintains that it operates in compliance with regulations and that client funds are secure.