An audit at the State Forests National Forest Holding has been ongoing since January. During the investigation, a number of irregularities were revealed, which resulted in the waste of millions of zlotys. The findings became the basis for decisive actions by the current management of the State Forests.
Starting the audit was one of the first decisions of the current director general of the State Forests, Witold Koss.
The inspection started in the general directorate and is currently carried out at all organizational levels, in regional directorates and forest districts, as well as in national plants.
A number of activities that have been carried out in recent years have caused a wave of criticism around the State Forests. We are investigating these matters, identifying those responsible and taking steps to ensure that it does not happen again, says Director Koss.
Some of the issues identified in the audit have already been the subject of announcements and notifications addressed to the judiciary.
Such as irregularities in the sale of residential real estate in Gdańsk or the campaign to build advertising billboards with a budget of PLN 65 million.
Advanced control of financing of paid media publications
It is estimated that PLN 8-10 million was spent on sponsored articles, television programs and radio spots in 2020-23. The money went to the media of a specific trend, without prior recognition of market offers. This amount includes, among others: cost of approximately 40 publications in the weekly “DoRzeczy”.
It is highly probable that public procurement rules have been repeatedly breached.
Over PLN 11 million went from the State Forests to Catholic parishes
The auditors also examined competitions organized by the State Forests Information Center, including the “Wood comes from the forest” competition. Over PLN 11 million was received in an illegible manner, mainly to Catholic parishes.
Our reservations are also raised by the extent of financing local government road renovations from the forest fund. It is no coincidence that more was spent in the year of the parliamentary elections than in the previous seven years. All the more so because politicians of Sovereign Poland stood for photos with symbolic checks – notes the general director. – That is why we are definitely breaking with similar practices and introducing solutions that will prevent them from happening in the future.
Attempt to sell the property of the State Forests in Gdynia
The audit includes determining irregularities in the sale of real estate in accordance with Art. 40a(1) of the Forest Act, i.e. with the application of a discount.
The inspection concerns the validity of decision-making in the following areas: determining the unsuitability of specific properties for the State Forests and the methods of selling individual properties.
Notifications of suspected crimes were sent against the former General Director of the State Forests, the former director of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Gdańsk and the former forester of the Gdańsk Forest District. The subject of the notification is the abuse of powers and causing damage to the State Forests in the amount of not less than PLN 2,302,200.00. Currently, the case is being investigated by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Bydgoszcz.
The scale of irregularities in this area is difficult to estimate; this area was investigated by the Supreme Audit Office, which concluded that the State Forests had disposed of huge assets, but in accordance with the regulations. This thread will most likely no longer create new notifications.
The billboard program cost at least PLN 65 million
Irregularities in carrying out the so-called “billboard campaign” consisting in commissioning the production of 2,000 billboards for the amount of PLN 65 million from the forest fund.
The program was formally launched by order of the Director General of the State Forests. The task was coordinated by the Forest Culture Center in Gołuchów (OKL).
Officially, the task is to install 2,000 billboards in all forest districts in Poland, intended to promote forest management, nature protection and PGL LP. In April 2023, OKL commissioned the “Bieszczady” company from Ustrzyki Dolne to complete and install 2,000 structures.
Since the State Forests own 100% of the shares in the company, there was no need to organize a tender on general terms and the so-called single-source procurement, giving up the principle of competitiveness of offers.
However, “Bieszczady” – contrary to clear provisions – did not perform practically any part of the ordered and paid subject matter of the contract; not only did they outsource the entire task to two other entities unrelated to the State Forests, paying them to set up the billboards, but they also outsourced the setting up of the steel structures to four other companies.
As a result, some works were paid twice. Finally, a notification was sent to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw on suspicion of three crimes against the former general director of the State Forests, the former head of the Department of Social Communication and the press spokesman, the former director of the Forest Culture Center in Gołuchów, two former employees holding managerial positions in the State Forests, the president of the management board of the company ” “Bieszczady”.
The subject of the notification is the fraud of funds from the Forest Fund, violation of public procurement rules and mismanagement, which led to damage in the amount of not less than PLN 23 million.
Financing the election campaign of the former director general of the State Forests
The preliminary summary shows that in the three months before the elections, PLN 2,809,800.00 was spent on forest districts whose territorial areas covered the parliamentary constituency no. 29 (this amount will increase as the data flows).
In district no. 29 (Tarnowskie Góry and Gliwice counties), the former director general of the State Forests ran for the Sejm.
It was here that the above-mentioned picnics under the slogan “Wood – the raw material of all time” were held.
It is highly probable that a similar method of operation and spending of the State Forests’ funds applied to other party activists, as well as to the employees of the State Forests. The amount of damage will be calculated in millions of zlotys.
