Erroneous decisions cost ORLEN billions. Further referrals to the prosecutor’s office
Nearly 120 audits and inspections have been carried out as part of a comprehensive review of irregularities within the ORLEN Group covering the period from January 2016 to February 2024. The findings revealed multi-billion-złoty losses resulting from management failures. Consequently, further notifications have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office. Rectifying the adverse effects of these decisions, recovering the losses incurred, and implementing a new strategy to support the company’s growth and enhance Poland’s energy independence and security are top priorities for the current Management Board.
Audits and inspections. Key figures
Since April 2024, inspection activities have included:
- Investigative audits conducted by specialised external partners,
- Internal audits and inspections.
To date, a total of 118 inspection procedures have been initiated in relation to decisions made between 2016 and 2024. This includes 15 investigative audits carried out by audit firms and law firms, and 103 audits and inspections conducted by ORLEN personnel.
Of these, 64 procedures have been completed, while several dozen remain ongoing. As new irregularities come to light, further inspection activities are planned, which may also result in new referrals to the prosecutor’s office.
As a result of these efforts, numerous notifications have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office concerning the conduct of the former Management Board and senior management personnel.
To date, ORLEN Group companies have filed 16 notifications of a suspected criminal offence, involving the former CEO, Management Board members, and senior managers. ORLEN is also actively cooperating in other proceedings, providing investigators with the findings of audits and inspections. This includes cases that were previously closed but have since been resumed by prosecutors. One such matter concerns a foreign donation of personal protective equipment made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Audits and inspections. Key findings
The audits and inspections completed to date have confirmed numerous irregularities previously reported in the media.
Lack of business rationale and losses approaching PLN 1 billion
Auditors identified irregularities in the acquisition of shares in Ruch S.A. The findings indicate that the decision to acquire the company was made prior to commissioning the analyses and expert opinions intended to justify it. Furthermore, the adopted Restructuring Programme was deemed unviable from the outset – a concern raised at the time by ORLEN’s external advisers. As a result, the Group was required to significantly increase its capital commitment to the unprofitable company. The total outlay amounted to nearly PLN 950 million and, in the auditors’ view, is unlikely to be recovered.
A notification of a suspected criminal offence concerning two former Management Board members, including Daniel Obajtek, was submitted to the prosecutor’s office at the end of March 2025.
Millions paid to a company from Daniel Obajtek’s hometown and influence-peddling
Auditors confirmed frequent breaches of internal procedures in support of companies and institutions linked to the then-CEO of ORLEN, his hometown, or his associates.
One example involves the signing of a contract for the supply of hot dogs with company W. The audit revealed that the company was added to the list of participants in the procurement process despite not having undergone the mandatory market research procedure. Equally unjustified was the selection of the company through a non-standard closed procedure. The audit further identified indirect links between company W and Daniel Obajtek. The company’s CEO reportedly referred, in conversations with ORLEN employees, to discussions with the then-CEO and Management Board member Michał Róg.
A notification of a suspected criminal offence in this case was submitted to the prosecutor’s office at the end of March 2025.
Sponsorship and the CEO’s apartments
Two additional audits confirmed irregularities in the funding of a football academy and a sports club associated with the owner of Profbud – the company from which Daniel Obajtek purchased an apartment in Warsaw’s Awangarda estate at a price significantly below the prevailing market rates at the time.
Under Daniel Obajtek’s tenure as CEO, ORLEN transferred over PLN 2.25 million to these institutions.
The audit findings were submitted to the prosecutor’s office at the end of March 2025.
Media censorship at ORLEN-owned media outlets
The audit also revealed that the acquisition of the newspaper publisher Polska Press may have been politically motivated. Evidence includes internal practices during the 2023 election campaign, when Polska Press management implemented a system for blocking political advertisements to promote only one side of the political spectrum.
A notification of a suspected criminal offence in this case will be submitted to the prosecutor’s office shortly.
Audits and inspections. Further notifications in progress
Further notifications are currently being prepared and will be submitted to the prosecutor’s office in the coming weeks. Findings from the audits and inspections indicate:
- Breaches of corporate standards,
- Abuse of authority,
- Business decisions made contrary to market conditions and in violation of internal standards, exposing the company to financial loss,
- Transfer of funds – both directly from ORLEN Group companies and via affiliated foundations – to individuals and institutions linked to Management Board members or politicians from the then-governing coalition,
- Conflicts of interest,
- Existence of a ‘blacklist’ of media outlets,
- Unjustified expenses by Management Board members,
- Unjustified procurement of services, including detective services.
The erroneous business decisions of the former Management Board and actions taken under circumstances raising serious concerns continue to impact the company’s financial results. Losses stemming from failed investments and questionable transactions are now estimated in the tens of billions of PLN.
Audits and inspections do not hinder efforts to safeguard Poland’s energy security
While addressing the adverse consequences of past decisions, the current Management Board is actively working to ensure Poland’s energy independence and security. These efforts have been supported by the development, adoption, and implementation of a new strategy for the ORLEN Group – the most positively received strategic document in the company’s history.
Over the past year:
- ORLEN has increased its installed renewable energy capacity by 50%,
- Construction of Poland’s first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea has commenced, with power generation scheduled to begin in 2026,
- More than PLN 10 billion has been secured for the modernisation and expansion of the electricity distribution network.
Construction is also progressing on two CCGT units in Ostrołęka and Grudziądz. Preparations are underway for additional investments in power generating units in Siekierki, Gdańsk, and Grudziądz II. These facilities will help ensure secure electricity supply for Polish consumers during the transition period, until nuclear or hydrogen technologies reach full-scale implementation in Poland.
