In an interview for the “Rzeczpospolita”, Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek said that the series of articles against him was a planned order. “I won’t take a step back. Especially under the influence of manipulative and lying publications in some media. Let them keep publishing, it doesn’t bother me anymore,” he added.
Daniel Obajtek told “Rzeczpospolita” that in his opinion press publications about him are an attack – an order from the outside. “The average Pole, not even a PiS (Law and Justice Party) supporter, reading the same thing over and over again, sees that this is an order,” stressed Daniel Obajtek. According to the CEO of Orlen, there is an economic war going on.
‘If in this part of Europe, a concern is being established, which will ultimately generate 200 billion PLN in revenue, diversifies oil supplies, renegotiates unfavourable agreements, builds a modern petrochemical plant and modernize refineries, then certain interests and unfavourable businesses to Poland are broken up’ – said in an interview, indicating the reasons for the attacks on himself.
“The recent reduction in the oil supply contract with Rosneft by up to 2 million tonnes could be a problem for many. The changes I am making reflected in billions of zlotys,” he added.
Asked whose order “Gazeta Wyborcza” was carrying out, he said the action was “not only to destroy me but also to prevent the completion of the acquisition and the concentration process”.
He stressed that Orlen invested a lot – 9 billion PLN a year, while in the times of its predecessors it had been 3 billion PLN on average.
Obajtek was also asked about whether he had helped professionally many people from the Law and Justice Party. The President of Orlen stressed that he selected people on merit.
‘As CEO, I am responsible for this business and I also have the right to choose people I trust for management positions. There are such people in the Law and Justice as well. Unlike the Civic Platform’s people, I am not a hypocrite. Weren’t people connected with MPs of PO or PSL (Polish People’s Party) employed during the previous ruling team? I can assure you that no procedure was broken in recruitment, and the fact that well-qualified people were hired is evidenced by the company’s performance,’ he told “Rz”.
Obajtek denied that he was creating a business and political environment around him so that no one would harm him because everyone benefited from his position. And he added that hiring was primarily determined by competence. The CEO of Orlen, when asked if he was going to resign, he replied that he had huge mergers to carry out and intended to complete them.
“I won’t take a step back. Especially under the influence of manipulative and lying publications in some media. Let them keep publishing, it doesn’t bother me anymore,” he pointed out.