Podejrzany w aferze Orlenu aresztowany – Polska wnioskuje o ekstradycję.
Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar announced on Wednesday that the red notice Interpol wanted Polish citizen Samer A., a former member of the board of directors of OTS Switzerland Gmbh (Orlen Group), has been detained in the United Arab Emirates. Prosecutor General’s spokesperson Anna Adamiak reminded at a press conference on Thursday that Samer A. was wanted in the proceedings of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. She added that it concerns the conclusion of three unfavorable contracts for the purchase of crude oil and causing damage to OTS Switzerland Gmbh (Orlen Group) and Orlen S.A. in the amount of approximately 1.5 billion PLN.
Translation request
„At the moment, there is a request from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw for the extradition and temporary arrest of Mr. Samer A. in the National Prosecutor’s Office. The request has been sent for translation. We hope, as we have assumed, that by the middle of next week, the request along with the attachments, which are covered by our agreement with the UAE, will be submitted to the Emirati side,” Adamiak informed. She revealed that the man was detained in Dubai.
In the investigation into Orlen Trading Switzerland GmbH (OTS), requests for legal assistance have been made to Switzerland, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Two former members of the board of this company are wanted by international arrest warrants.
International search warrants
Recently, in December 2024, a Warsaw district court decided on the temporary arrest of former OTS board members. The prosecutor requested it to start their search. After the arrest request was granted, the prosecutor issued search warrants for both suspects.
The issue of advances paid by OTS was one of the reasons why the Ordinary General Meeting of Orlen did not grant absolution to the previous management of the company in June 2024 when Daniel Obajtek was its president.
In the justifications of the resolutions adopted by the shareholders – they concerned a total of 11 people – it was then indicated, among other things, „failure to fulfill obligations in exercising strategic and operational leadership and ownership supervision in relation to Orlen Trading Switzerland”, and related to the implementation of the Orlen group’s policy and internal rules on expenditure amounts, including those related to preparing for trade transactions.
Claims
In December 2024, an Extraordinary General Meeting decided that the company would be able to pursue claims for damages by former board members, with claims potentially covering adverse investment decisions, as well as actions related to OTS.
During the shareholders’ meeting, current Orlen President Ireneusz Fąfara explained that regarding advance payments for crude oil ordered through OTS, „proceedings in Switzerland are being conducted with the involvement of reputable global firms, both legal and detective, in cooperation with the Swiss prosecutor’s office and the authorities of the United Arab Emirates.”
Read also: VIP lounges, trips, and visits for millions. The backstage of the Orlen and PZPN agreement.
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