The EUR 2 billion scandal. PiS attacks the new arms law

PiS politicians claim that EUR 2 billion from the SAFE program is to go to a private company led by a politician from the Civic Coalition. According to representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the company is part of the “National Ammunition Reserve” program from the times of the PiS government. As they point out, no final decisions have been made.

On Friday, the Sejm passed an act implementing the EU SAFE armament program. It will enable the establishment of a special fund managed by BGK through which money from the program can be spent.

SAFE and corruption?

A discussion broke out in the Sejm around SAFE, including: projects that can be financed by this program. It's mainly about the company Polish Ammunitionwhich is to be responsible for the production of popular 155 mm caliber artillery shells. EUR 2 billion is to be allocated for this purpose. Wirtualna Polska journalists described that the matter was already discussed at the National Security Council. Reason: the company is private and, moreover, headed by a politician associated with the current government – Paweł Poncyljusz.

MP Janusz Kowalski (PiS) said from the parliamentary podium that “we may be dealing with one of the largest corruption scandals in recent years“He announced that he would submit an application to the CBA.

– Is the list (of projects financed from SAFE) really secret because billions of zlotys are transferred to companies headed by people from the Civic Platform? Is it true what Wirtualna Polska has just revealed, that many billions of zlotys may go to a company headed by a colleague of (deputy head of the Ministry of National Defence) Cezary Tomczyk? – Kowalski asked.

Poncilius replies

Paweł Poncyljusz commented on the matter on the X website. He reminded that he had known Kowalski longer than Tomczyk and encouraged him to contact him if he had any questions.

“As for the Polska Amunicja company, which I manage, it is 50% owned by WB Group, which is owned by the state-owned PFR Group in over 26%!” – Poncyljusz emphasized. He added that the Polska Amunicja company was selected to implement investments in the construction of Polish capacity to produce 155 mm ammunition as part of the “National Ammunition Reserve” program approved by the government, in which Janusz Kowalski was deputy minister.

Poncyljusz's information was confirmed by Cezary Tomczyk, who emphasized in a conversation with journalists that “The decision regarding this particular company is the decision of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.”

“Decisions have not been made”

Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, noted that the Armament Agency, which is responsible for orders for the army, did not propose any entities other than those indicated in the National Ammunition Reserve.

– Will they meet the requirements and expectations of the Armament Agency and will contracts be signed with it? I don't know. Because so far they haven't been with everyone, only some of them. If they meet (the requirements) and provide a guarantee, the agency will make that decision. No decisions have been made as to who will receive the money from SAFE, because SAFE was not accepted and transferred. So it's hard to give away something we don't have yet, emphasized Kosiniak-Kamysz.

These arguments do not convince PiS politicians. The head of the PiS club, Mariusz Błaszczak, informed journalists that his group has submitted an application to the Parliamentary Special Services Committee in connection with the potential benefits that former Civic Platform MP Paweł Poncyljusz may derive from the contracts received from the SAFE program.

Under the EU instrument, the Polish government will be able to use approximately EUR 43.7 billion in loans with favorable interest rates and spend them on defense investments. According to the government's declaration, over 80 percent the money is to be spent in the Polish arms industry. The goal of SAFE is to strengthen the defense of EU countries as quickly as possible by purchasing equipment primarily from European industry. The instrument is designed to finance relatively short-term projects lasting until 2030 at most. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced in the Sejm on Friday that the SAFE program will save from PLN 36 to 60 billion and accelerate the modernization of the Polish army. (PAP)

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