Daniel Obajtek, the former CEO of the state fuel giant Orlen during the previous conservative PiS government, failed to appear when summoned by the prosecution service on Monday and has said that he will not testify until the EU parliamentary elections are over.
Taking to platform X, Obajtek stated that he would not “participate in a circus put on by the ruling Civic Coalition.” He added that his attorney was authorized to represent him and that he hoped he could finish his election campaign in the Podkarpacie region, where he is standing in the European elections, “in peace.”
The prosecution service is seeking to question Objatek over allegations of giving false testimony. Obajtek’s attorney appeared on his behalf, citing claims of political persecution. The new date of Obajtek’s proceeding has been set for the second half of July.
Obajtek is also summoned to appear before a parliamentary investigative committee on Wednesday. Its chairman, KO MP MIchał Szczerba, told reporters that if Obajtek does not appear at the hearing to which he has been summoned, he would request a warrant for Obajtek to be detained and brought before the committee. That committee has already fined Obajtek for his refusal to appear at a hearing last week.
According to Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, the former Orlen CEO is also being investigated in three separate cases. One concerns Orlen’s merger with Lotos, which the KO opposed. The second concerns allegations that Obajtek was involved in artificially manipulating the price of fuel in order to help PiS, and the third concerns giving false testimony and lack of cooperation with state auditors.
However, Obajtek is yet to be indicted. If he is elected as MEP on Sunday, the prosecutors will need his European parliamentary immunity to be lifted before proceeding with any indictment.
