Polish Baltic Shipping management board faces court over failed ferry contract in Szczecin – damage of 8.1 million zlotys
The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin has filed charges against two former members of the board of Polish Baltic Shipping in connection with a failed ferry construction. Chief Executive Piotr Redmerski rejects the allegations, calling them "scapegoating".
Indictment in ferry case: PŻB chief to answer in court
The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin has filed an indictment in court against two members of the board of Polish Baltic Shipping S.A., announced the prosecutor's office spokeswoman Małgorzata Wojciechowicz on Tuesday. According to RMF24, the case is called "Stępka" and concerns an unexecuted contract for the construction of a ferry concluded between PŻB and Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard in Szczecin.
Among the accused is Chief Executive Piotr Redmerski, who consented to the disclosure of his personal data. The charge concerns causing the company material damage on a large scale – totalling 8.1 million zlotys.
Charges: lack of caution when signing the contract
The prosecutor's office indicates that during the period from 8 March 2017 to 14 May 2019, both accused persons, as individuals obligated to manage PŻB's property, signed a contract with Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard for the design, construction and delivery of a ferry, despite the fact that the shipyard was not prepared for this. The prosecutor's office noted in its statement that Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard was in a poor financial and property situation and, moreover, did not have adequate technical facilities or employees with sufficient experience in building Ro-Pax type ferries.
The indictment also included amendments to the contract – concerning modifications to the contractual design and development of technical documentation. In the prosecutor's assessment, as a result of this PŻB incurred damage in the amount of 7,589,900 zlotys.
Separately noted was an amendment covering the construction of the first section of the double hull bottom of the ferry, known as the keel. It was commissioned despite the fact that – as investigators emphasised – "the contractual ferry design was not completed in full and technical documentation was not drawn up". The damage associated with this amounts to 725,660 zlotys, which after deducting the value of the scrapped keel (197,000 zlotys) comes to a final amount of 528,660 zlotys.
The prosecutor's office itemised the expenses incurred: contractual design (500,000 zlotys), first section of the ferry (725,660 zlotys), modified version of the contractual design (89,900 zlotys) and further packages of technical documentation for a total of 7 million zlotys.
For an offence under Article 296 § 1 of the Penal Code, consisting of causing damage on a large scale through abuse of authority or failure to perform duties, up to 5 years imprisonment is provided for. Both accused persons denied guilt.
"I was deceived by the ministry and by the shipyard"
Piotr Redmerski, who headed PŻB from 2016 to January 2021, and returned to the position of chief executive in April 2024, described the charge brought against him as "absurd" in a conversation with PAP.
– This is scapegoating – Redmerski assessed. – I asked the prosecutor: how did I cause damage? I am pleased that there will be this trial. I am willing to talk about the pathologies in the ministry at that time, about an attempt to build a ferry contrary to market principles. PŻB was deceived by the ministry and by Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard – he emphasised.
By "deceptions" Redmerski means, among other things, the deregistration of the ferry being built from the Polish Register of Ships by the shipyard – literally a week after the keel-laying ceremony. This event took place in June 2017 with the participation of then Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The deregistration meant that the keel had only scrap value.
Political project and contract background
Redmerski noted in his conversation with PAP that the construction of the ferry in Szczecin was a "political project". The contract was signed by Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard, and its implementation was to take place on the territory of the Szczecin Industrial Park, which is the former Szczecin Shipyard. A modern Ro-Pax ferry for PŻB (Polferries) appeared as a topic in election campaigns.
The chief executive recalled that in 2017 PŻB was finalising the purchase of a used ferry, which ultimately entered service as M/F Cracovia. According to his account, the ministry was blocking this purchase, making its consent dependent on signing a contract with Gryfia. The shipyard meanwhile assured that it had cooperators capable of building Ro-Pax vessels, and the State Treasury declared that it would recapitalise Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard in order to modernise its machinery fleet.
– I was dismissed from my position on 11 February 2021. The day after I demanded that Gryfia Maritime Repair Shipyard return the advance payment – Redmerski summed up.
The second accused is the former member of PŻB's board responsible for tonnage investments, who held this position from February 2017 to June 2020.
PŻB (Polferries) together with Unity Line (Polish Maritime Shipping and EuroAfrica) have been operating since 30 March as part of the operating company POLSCA. With 11 ferries at its disposal, the new structure is intended to consolidate the potential of Polish ferry operators and rebuild their position in the Baltic.
Source: RMF24