Former Vice President of Orlen detained Michał R. detained by ABW

Trela: They turned Orlen into their own private farm TVN24

The Internal Security Agency has apprehended a former senior executive linked to the Orlen Group. Reports from tvn24.pl indicate that this pertains to the vice-president of the corporation, Michał R. The detention is associated with the investigation into the operations of Orlen’s foreign subsidiary. The previous president, Daniel Obajtek, has made remarks regarding the situation, labeling the arrest as „purely political retribution”.

This information was subsequently disclosed in an official announcement by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.

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Arrest of Michał R.

At the instigation of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw, Internal Security Agency officers detained Michał R., a former member of Orlen SA’s executive board . This detention is connected to an inquiry into substantial financial losses incurred by the companies OTS GmbH and Orlen SA

The investigation led by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw involves losses to OTS Gmbh and Orlen SA amounting to approximately USD 378 million, equivalent to around PLN 1.5 billion due to the signing of three unfavorable crude oil purchase contracts between August 21, 2023, and December 21, 2023.

The prosecutor’s office has announced further measures and guarantees that updates on the case will be provided.

Simultaneously, the case file has been enhanced with a notification from the General Inspector of Financial Information regarding suspicions of committing a crime related to money laundering of benefits resulting from actions detrimental to OTS and Orlen companies, which is also under the current investigation.

Daniel Obajtek discusses „political retribution”

Daniel Obajtek, who served as president of Orlen during the PiS administration and is now an MEP, commented on Wednesday’s arrest of R. on Platform X. He stressed that „the apprehension of Michał Róg, a former board member of the Orlen Group, is nothing but political retribution”. „Is Bodnar (Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar – ed.) on the verge of replacement? Clearly, he wishes to secure his position and win favor with Tusk. And what might appeal to a manager? High-profile arrests, of course,” he remarked.

Obajtek noted that during the period from 2018 to 2024, when Michał R. was in charge of trade and logistics, the Płock company „achieved record results, including nearly PLN 80 billion in profit”. „The OTS case is merely one component of this political retribution. For a year and a half, Michał was not even questioned as a witness, despite being available to the prosecutor’s office. Why? What is the reason Orlen is not disclosing the status of arbitration proceedings to reclaim the funds? Is it possible that it prefers not to recover the money for political leverage?” – wrote the former president of Orlen. He concluded his post by asserting that „Michał Róg will be exonerated in this matter”.

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Proceedings against other individuals involved in the case

Previously – in December 2024 – the Warsaw District Court ordered the temporary detention of former OTS board members – Samer A. and Marcin O. The prosecutor’s office made this request to initiate a search for them. It was discovered that both were located abroad. In early January of this year, it was reported that requests for legal assistance had been submitted to Switzerland, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. On January 13, 2025, Samer A. was captured in the UAE. „Another major scandal from the era of the PiS government is approaching resolution. There will be further developments,” stated the head of the MS, Attorney General Adam Bodnar at that time. At the end of January 2025, the Polish Embassy in Abu Dhabi transmitted the prosecutor’s extradition request for Samer A. to the UAE authorities through diplomatic channels. By the end of May, the Polish Embassy had reached out to the UAE Ministry of Justice and the Polish Embassy in Abu Dhabi to inquire about the current status of the extradition process for Samer A. Meanwhile, as prosecutor Martyniuk reminded PAP, the extradition proceedings against Marcin O. are ongoing with Swiss authorities. Another individual implicated in this investigation – as previously mentioned – is Filip W., the former executive director of OTS and Orlen SA, for whom a temporary arrest is being sought.

Read more: Oil contracts and a massive loss. Decision on the charges >>>

OTS Company and the Controversial Oil Contract

In April of the previous year, media coverage emerged concerning the Swiss firm Orlen OTS. „Rzeczpospolita” reported at that time that the Internal Security Agency was attempting to obstruct A.’s appointment as president of OTS in 2022 due to alleged suspicions of Arab extremism.

The Onet portal revealed in the autumn of last year warnings from Orlen’s internal security services. According to the portal, these warnings indicated that Samer A., who hails from Lebanon, is suspected of having

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