Prosecution seeks arrest of four Orlen managers in fuel price case
The National Prosecutor's Office has submitted requests for the arrest of four of five detained former and current Orlen managers. They are suspected of illegally lowering fuel prices in the pre-election period of 2023, which allegedly caused damage of 4.1 billion zloty.
Prosecution seeks arrest of four Orlen executives
The National Prosecutor's Office submitted four requests to court on Wednesday for the application of preventive measures in the form of arrest. The requests concern former and current Orlen managers detained in an investigation into suspicions of illegally lowering fuel prices – National Prosecutor Dariusz Korneluk announced. The fifth person from the group of five detained received freedom-based preventive measures.
The Internal Security Agency detained the suspects on Monday. Among them was a former member of the company's board from 2018–2024. The charges relate to an investigation conducted for over two years, which covers the period from August to November 2023 – the time preceding parliamentary elections.
According to Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek, the company engaged in "deliberate, illegal manipulation of fuel prices" from August 2023 onwards. The actions were intended to achieve lower prices at petrol stations. Price manipulation occurred without any economic grounds – the European and global fuel market did not indicate the possibility of price reductions. Additionally, the suspects violated Orlen's internal procedures, which must be adhered to when changing prices.
As a consequence of the illegal actions, fuel supplies were depleted at more than 600 Orlen petrol stations. The company issued a recommendation that employees inform customers of "pump malfunctions". The Prosecutor's Office determined the material loss resulting from the suspects' actions: experts valued it at 4 billion 100 million zloty.
The case concerns Article 296 of the Penal Code – causing damage in economic transactions. This crime carries a penalty of three months to five years' imprisonment. However, since damage of a large scale was identified, the maximum sentence is 25 years' imprisonment.
The investigation was initiated in January 2024 by the District Prosecutor's Office in Płock, where Orlen's main facility is located. After five months, in May 2024, the National Prosecutor's Office in Łódź took over the case due to its significance and the scope of evidence material. In March 2024, the Internal Security Agency searched the company's offices in Płock, Warsaw and Gdańsk, securing 73 gigabytes of electronic documents and 2 terabytes of email correspondence.
The Gazeta Prawna newspaper reported that Minister Żurek emphasised that the case is developmental in character, meaning there is the possibility of further charges being brought.
Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna