A court has ordered the temporary arrest of Michał R., the former vice president of Orlen, along with three directors of the company. This decision is part of an investigation into allegations of fuel price manipulation prior to the 2023 elections. All arrested individuals may secure their release by posting bail.
According to reports from Radio Zet, the court has set bail amounts for all detained Orlen executives.
The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) had detained former and current Orlen managers, including a company board member from 2018 to 2024.
The detainees have been charged in an ongoing investigation that has been underway for more than two years, focusing on the unjustified lowering of fuel prices from August to November 2023.
In a press conference, Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek outlined the findings of the investigation, stating that the inquiry revealed that prior to the 2023 elections, there was “illegal manipulation of wholesale fuel prices” at Orlen.
He emphasized that since August 2023, there had been intentional and illegal price manipulation within the company aimed at achieving a specific outcome of lower prices at distributors.
