PiS politicians have prepared an “exhibition of shame, disgrace, and people who, using their connections, reached for public funds.” It showcased profiles of various individuals associated with Civic Platform (PO) who received funds under the KPO.
“The Rich from KPO”. Law and Justice Organizes an Exhibition
“Law and Justice (PiS) politicians held a press conference dedicated to the KPO scandal. We are just days after the government conference regarding the KPO affair. The KPO was supposed to serve the rebuilding of European economies after the pandemic. We all saw what happened with that money. The HoReCa fund was very often spent on various whims – yachts, saunas, tanning beds. So the money intended to support economic development was squandered. Friday’s conference explained nothing, because government representatives say that over 3,200 contracts were audited, of which only 7 showed irregularities, Rafał Bochenek said. He added that “government representatives in no way addressed media reports indicating that KPO funds were going to the families of politicians from the current ruling coalition, which we present in today’s exhibition.”
Hundreds of thousands of zlotys went to support businesses and economic activities of politicians and their families from the current ruling coalition. Once again, we ask the government – what were the criteria for allocating this money? How did it happen that colleagues in the government decided on the allocation of funds, while the beneficiaries are families of other coalition politicians? Will the politicians and their families return these funds? – he asked. MEP Tobiasz Bocheński pointed out that “KPO funds were supposed to be a part of the engine that would drive Poland toward development – in recent months, we learned that in a country of 38 million people and hundreds of thousands of companies, KPO money strangely ends up with families of ruling coalition politicians.”
“Strangely, they write the best applications in Donald Tusk’s state. Friday’s conference by Mrs. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz was embarrassing. What kind of practice is it that someone accused of irregularities is the judge in their own case? The official government message is that everything is fine in this matter, while no one wants to comment on the many millions of zlotys going to politicians’ families. This is one of the most scandalous affairs of recent years. As MEPs, we submitted a request to Ursula von der Leyen to exclude Mr. Serafin from supervising these funds,” he said.
MP Mateusz Kurzejewski emphasized that “today no one doubts Donald Tusk’s true intentions when he blocked the KPO fund disbursement before the 2023 elections.”
“The goal was to allow ruling coalition politicians to once again draw public funds freely. KPO is a loan that we will repay. And it turns out that all of us will repay a loan taken out for the benefit of the family businesses of Marshal Czarzasty, MP Łącki, or Dorota Ryl. Mrs. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz conducted a pseudo-audit and found only 7 irregularities. This means that the beneficiaries of this program, probably due to party affiliation, will not have to return these funds,” he stated.
Kurzejewski also said that the exhibition they prepared is “an exhibition of shame, disgrace, of people who, using their connections, reached for public funds.”
“Our priority, upon returning to power, will be a thorough and transparent investigation of this matter and holding accountable those who benefited due to party affiliation, as well as those who decided on the allocation of these funds,” he announced.