A criminal organization is suspected to be behind the fire that engulfed a hall in Warsaw. Authorities are seriously considering the possibility that the incident was an arson-for-hire, according to Monday’s edition of “Rzeczpospolita.”
The newspaper reports that the investigation into the fire at the Marywilska trade hall in Warsaw, which was initially handled by the district prosecutor’s office, will now be led by the Mazowieckie Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.
“Rzeczpospolita” reveals that the scope of the investigation will be expanded. “The proceedings will also be conducted under Article 258 of the Penal Code, which pertains to participation in an organized criminal group,” confirmed Przemysław Nowak, spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office. The decision to elevate the case to the highest level was made by the leadership of the “PZ” department.
The investigation is shrouded in secrecy, with even the results of initial inspections not being disclosed. Sources cited by “Rzeczpospolita” suggest that new evidence gathered during these inspections has shed new light on the case.
Experts are set to investigate why the hall, despite being equipped with fire curtains and an automatic fire notification system, was consumed so rapidly and completely by the flames.
Previously, Prime Minister Donald Tusk indicated, “We also have the right to suspect – perhaps ‘suspect’ is a strong word, but we are exploring these leads and they are quite probable – that Russian services might have had something to do with the notorious fire on Marywilska Street.”