Orlen Files Criminal Complaint Against Daniel Obajtek Following Altercation at IKS Solino
Orlen has filed a formal complaint with the prosecutor’s office after MEP Daniel Obajtek allegedly trespassed at the Inowrocław Salt Mines (IKS Solino) and falsely claimed parliamentary...
Orlen has filed a formal complaint with the prosecutor’s office after MEP Daniel Obajtek allegedly trespassed at the Inowrocław Salt Mines (IKS Solino) and falsely claimed parliamentary authority.
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The Incident at IKS Solino
On Thursday, July 9, former Orlen CEO and current MEP Daniel Obajtek arrived at the headquarters of Inowrocław Salt Mines (IKS Solino), where employees have been protesting since March. Obajtek presented a letter to company president Wojciech Kotlarek, claiming he was performing a parliamentary intervention.
When asked by Kotlarek if he was exercising the mandate of a member of the Polish parliament, Obajtek confirmed he was acting as an MEP. The president informed him that MEPs lack the specific legal powers of Polish MPs or senators to conduct interventions in state enterprises, and ordered staff to deny him entry.
Forced Entry and Legal Dispute
Obajtek accused the company president of breaking the law, announced he was entering the premises by force, and climbed under a security barrier, leading to a physical struggle. Under Polish law, the right to conduct official parliamentary interventions in state institutions is reserved for national MPs and senators, not members of the European Parliament.
Following the arrival of police, Obajtek filed his own complaint regarding physical assault and the obstruction of his activities as an MEP. He stated on social media that he was attempting to defend striking workers.
Context of the Ongoing Protest
MEP Krzysztof Brejza also submitted a notice regarding the incident, labeling Obajtek’s forced entry into the strategically vital IKS Solino facility as illegal. The workers have been on a hunger strike since mid-March.
The trade unionists are protesting against what they describe as the weakening of the national soda and salt complex. They are calling for state control over strategic assets and the implementation of a development program for the Kujawy energy-salt complex.