The District Court in Szczecin has announced a verdict in the so-called drainage scandal case, in which one of the defendants was Stanisław Gawłowski, senator, former secretary of the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska), and former Deputy Minister of the Environment. The politician was found partially guilty and was sentenced to unconditional imprisonment.
The trial, concerning irregularities in 26 investment projects overseen by the West Pomeranian Board of Drainage and Water Facilities in Szczecin, has been ongoing in the District Court in Szczecin since January 2020. The investigation began in 2013. The indictment comprised over 1,100 pages and involved 32 individuals. Eight of them filed motions for voluntary submission to penalties, and their cases were handled by the district court. The trial lasted over five and a half years.
The prosecution presented 94 charges against the accused, including bribery and money laundering. The central issue of the investigation concerned the rigging of tenders for drainage works, which were also financed by multimillion-euro EU subsidies.
Among the accused was Stanisław Gawłowski, who has publicly consented on multiple occasions to the use of his name and image. He is currently a senator for the Civic Coalition and served as the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment from 2007 to 2015, a Civic Platform MP since 2005, and the party’s Secretary General from 2016 to 2018. The National Prosecutor’s Office brought seven charges against him, including five related to corruption. Prosecutor Witold Grdeń from the National Prosecutor’s Office requested a sentence of 6.5 years in prison and a fine of PLN 180,000.
Five Years in Prison – and More
The District Court in Szczecin sentenced the Civic Platform politician to 5 years of unconditional imprisonment, a fine of PLN 180,000, and a 10-year ban on holding public office. The verdict is not final.
“The court found Gawłowski guilty of six offences charged by the prosecution. In addition to the 5-year prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of property obtained through criminal activity, a fine, and a 10-year ban on holding public office,” reported Tomasz Duklanowski.
Another defendant, Bogdan K., was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.