Prosecutors in Łódź, Poland, have filed charges against the head of a company and her husband for allegedly defrauding the Bełchatów Power Plant of over 21 million złoty.
Fraud Scheme Unveiled
The Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Łódź has indicted the president of a company from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and her husband for defrauding the Bełchatów Power Plant. They are accused of selling over one million liters of tap water instead of a specialized flue gas desulfurization agent.
The losses incurred by the power plant exceed 21 million złoty.
Investigation Details
Prosecutor Krzysztof Kopania, spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Łódź, stated that the indictment was filed with the District Court in Piotrków Trybunalski against the 46-year-old company president and her 56-year-old husband. The charges include leading an organized crime group, fraud against the Bełchatów Power Plant, invoice fraud, and tax evasion.
Expanded Indictments
The indictment also includes 10 other individuals – six women and four men aged 41 to 72 – including three “front” company presidents controlled by the couple. They face charges of participating in the organized crime group.
Joint Operation and Evidence
The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Łódź and the Internal Security Agency (ABW) delegation in Łódź. The proceedings were initiated based on findings by the ABW and a criminal complaint filed by the Bełchatów power plant’s legal representative.
False Claims and Money Laundering
According to the prosecutor’s office, the evidence gathered allows for accusations of leading an organized crime group, defrauding the Bełchatów Power Plant for a total of 21 million złoty, and money laundering.
The Deceptive Product
The scheme, lasting several years, involved selling the victim company over one million liters of tap water with a small addition of chlorine and phosphoric acid. This liquid was presented as an innovative, biological, and allegedly patented preparation to minimize sediment precipitation in the flue gas desulfurization installation.
Misleading Documentation
The accused misled power plant authorities using false documents. In reality, tap water constituted approximately 99.9% of the sold “preparation,” and the supply agreement prevented the buyer from conducting independent testing of the liquid’s properties.
Falsified Research and Collaborators
The prosecution alleges that the company managed by the 46-year-old falsified research conducted by an external firm regarding the alleged effectiveness of the substance sold. Consequently, three former employees of the company are also included in the indictment.
False Credentials and Arrests
Investigators discovered that the woman accused of leading the criminal group presented herself as a highly qualified chemist, falsely claiming to have graduated from a prestigious Moscow university. She actually has only a basic education.
According to colleagues, she used this “legend” to facilitate sales. Both the accused woman and her husband were hiding and were subject to a European Arrest Warrant. They were both arrested in Spain and, after being brought to Poland, were placed in temporary detention by court order.
Current Detention Status
Currently, a 56-year-old man is in detention. However, due to the 46-year-old woman’s health condition, which prevents her from being held in a correctional facility, her detention has been replaced with several non-custodial preventive measures.
“Front” Company Presidents and Invoice Fraud
The indictment also includes three “front” presidents of companies controlled by the couple, who will be held accountable for participating in the organized crime group and so-called invoice fraud. Their actions involved issuing and circulating invoices without actual coverage.
Tax Evasion Scheme
This practice inflated the operating costs of the West Pomeranian company of the accused, which affected the amount of tax liabilities. The total gross amount of issued invoices exceeds 20 million złoty, resulting in tax shortfalls of approximately 2.2 million złoty.
Former Power Plant Employees Involved
The remaining defendants are former power plant employees in managerial positions. Two women are accused of accepting benefits worth 20,000 and 4,000 złoty, respectively, as well as perfumes, alcohol, hotel stays, and foreign trips, in exchange for abusing their authority and failing to fulfill their duties. The prosecutor assessed their actions as unfair competition and unacceptable preferential treatment.
Damage to Property and Evidence
Charges of causing significant property damage exceeding 18 million złoty have been filed against two other former members of the management who favored the accused company. The investigation has gathered evidence in 118 volumes of files, including testimonies, source documents, and specialized opinions and expert reports, including an analysis of the biological and physicochemical properties of the substance sold to the power plant.
The assets of the suspects – money and real estate, including a historic manor house valued at 4 million złoty, which served as the headquarters of the suspect’s company – have been seized during the investigation.
