A resourceful dentist from Miastko accused of extorting over PLN 1.2 million from the National Health Fund.

At one hearing before the District Court in Miastko, the trial of dentist Bartłomiej S., accused of extorting over PLN 1.2 million from the National Health Fund, ended on Wednesday. He admitted to committing 6,197 acts of attesting untruths in documents and voluntarily submitted to punishment.

Bartłomiej S., a dentist from the city, appeared in court on Wednesday, accused by the District Prosecutor's Office in Słupsk of certifying untruths in the documentation in order to obtain a financial benefit. In the years 2011-2021, as determined by the prosecutor's office, he committed 6,197 acts to the detriment of the National Health Fund.

Prosecutor Agata Wrzosek-Antosik, reading the indictment in the courtroom, indicated that he had extorted a total of PLN 1,231,000 from the National Health Fund. PLN 407 58 gr. Having concluded an agreement with the National Health Fund for the provision of health care services, in the dental treatment card and medical application used for financial settlements with the Fund he entered services that he actually provided to his patients in private practice. It was the patients, not the National Health Fund, who paid for them. The documents also included entries for services that were provided only partially or not at all and were paid for by the National Health Fund.

– I admit to the alleged acts, I do not want to provide explanations – said the accused dentist in court.

His defense attorney, attorney Piotr Sut, on behalf of his client, requested a judgment to be issued without a hearing. He proposed imposing a total penalty of one year's imprisonment on Bartłomiej S. with a conditional suspension of its execution for three years. During this time, he would inform the probation officer about the course of the trial.

He also requested a fine of PLN 54,000. PLN, the obligation to compensate the injured party to the National Health Fund in the amount specified in the indictment. The dentist would also be prohibited for 10 years from running a business involving the provision of medical services for the National Health Fund under a contract for the provision of health care services.

– Everyone wants the damage done to be repaired as soon as possible. We are already in talks with the injured NFZ regarding the possibility of repayment in installments – the lawyer justified the request. Sut.

Proc. Wrzosek-Antosik agreed to the proposed penalty, but with the determination that the accused had made a permanent source of income from the crimes committed and with the court costs awarded to the accused. The defense attorney and the defendant agreed to this change in the application. Legal advisor Anna Barska, representing the injured NFZ, did not oppose it.

Judge Tomasz Ginter decided to grant the defense's request to issue a verdict without a hearing. He pointed out that in this case the guilt and the crime were beyond doubt, and the objectives of the proceedings would be achieved even though the trial was not conducted in its entirety. He closed the court proceedings. He postponed the publication of the judgment until December 16.

A notification about the possibility of committing a crime by Bartłomiej S. was sent to the District Prosecutor's Office in Miastko in December 2020 by the Pomeranian Branch of the National Health Fund. In February 2022, the investigation was taken over by the District Prosecutor's Office in Słupsk.

It concerned irregularities committed by Bartłomiej S. in the settlement of medical services with the National Health Fund in the period from 2011 to the end of 2019. In 2024, an indictment covering 794 acts for the amount of over PLN 165,000. PLN went to court. At that time, in separate proceedings, the prosecutor's office was collecting further evidence against the dentist from Miastko. It ended in September by submitting an indictment to the court covering 5,403 acts committed until 2021 for an amount of over PLN 1 million.

Both cases against Bartłomiej S. were combined and incorporated into one trial. The prosecutor's office requested this at the hearing on August 12 this year, and the court, accepting the request, adjourned it until December 3.

For committing a crime related to confirming untruths in documentation in order to obtain financial gain, the Penal Code provides for a penalty of up to eight years' imprisonment. (PAP)

ing/ joz/ mhr/