A former top official has been formally charged in connection with significant financial damage to public property. The allegations involve abuse of power and failure to fulfil official duties, resulting in a risk of substantial economic loss.
© Nejron | Dreamstime
On 28 April 2025, prosecutors in Kraków accused Józef Jan K., the former Director General of the State Forests, of approving property sales unlawfully. He allegedly bypassed legal norms and expert recommendations while endorsing transactions under Article 40a of the Forest Act. One such act reportedly enabled a third party to benefit financially by no less than 631,170.30 PLN. The total estimated damage to public assets exceeds 2.3 million PLN.
The former director is also accused of initiating the publication of a State Forests bulletin supplement to facilitate further sales of state-owned property. Prosecutors claim his actions were taken with the intent to secure undue financial gain for others. He denied all charges and declined to provide testimony.
This is not the first time Józef Jan K. has faced legal trouble. On 25 February 2025, he and two other former officials were detained by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau. Charges at that time included demanding fictitious employment for an individual, leading to unjust enrichment totalling 163,138 PLN. This included altering internal regulations to facilitate a fake job contract within the Szczecin Regional Directorate.
All three suspects were later released under precautionary measures including police supervision, a ban on international travel, and financial sureties.
Source: www.biznes.meble.pl