Nearly 80 people on the bench accused of “milk baptism”. The trial takes place… in a cinema

The Gostyń cinema became a courtroom on Tuesday. In the process regarding the so-called Almost 80 people were accused of the milk scandal. The District Court in Gostyń does not have a courtroom large enough to accommodate the defendants and their lawyers, so it was decided to change the place of the hearing.

The trial concerns fraud in the delivery of milk; the so-called “baptism” and underestimating the amount of milk when selling it to the Dairy Cooperative in Gostyń. The prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office in Poznań indicted 79 people, including farmers (milk suppliers), tanker drivers and laboratory technicians.

The findings of the investigation show that the criminal activity took place in Bukownica and Gostyń in 2015-19. Thanks to him, property worth from several to several dozen thousand zlotys was extorted. According to the prosecutor's office, the mechanism involved adding water to milk or underestimating the amount of milk received from suppliers, and then assigning the surplus thus obtained to other colluding producers. The fraud – as the prosecutor pointed out – was possible thanks to Mrmaking special discharge valves in tanks, and the method of doing so was described as the “valve” or “bypass” method.

The accused are held free of charge, some were subject to police supervision or property bail, and their property was seized to cover future penalties and the obligation to compensate for the damage.

Most of the accused plead not guilty. Those who make criminal activity a permanent source of income may face up to 12 years in prison.

On Tuesday, after the prosecutor read the indictment, the defendants began to give explanations.

The next hearing is scheduled to take place at the end of May. The interrogation of the accused will then continue.

Due to the number of defendants, the trial was held in the “Pod Kopułą” cinema in Gostyń. At the entrance, those entering were greeted by old, historical movie posters, a cash register and a popcorn machine – closed on Tuesday morning.

The judge's table was placed in front of the platform with a screen. In turn, the defendants and their lawyers sat in cinema seats.

– It is truly an exceptional situation for the court to proceed in a cinema, but the circumstances of this case require it. 79 people on the bench of the accused, defense lawyers, as well as great media interest meant that the court scheduled the hearing in the cinema – said on Tuesday before the start of the hearing, the press spokesman of the District Prosecutor's Office in Poznań, Prosecutor Łukasz Wawrzyniak.

The building of the current cinema was built in 1935 as the Common Room House. Józef Piłsudski, belonging to the Riflemen's Association in Gostyń. In 1936, the first permanent sound cinema in the city, “Słońce”, was opened here. As stated on the board located at the entrance to the cinema building, in 1946 and 1950 show trials of the Cursed Soldiers were held here. The current name “Pod Kopulą” has been in force since 2005. (PAP)

ajw/ mark/