“I will recommend a company to you, one that… people most often choose. They say their prices are reasonable and that you can really work everything out with them. It is the company…,” Artur Habowski said openly, advertising a funeral home with which he was associated. TV Republika’s investigative team obtained a recording of a conversation between the coordinator of the Southern Hospital mortuary and a relative of a deceased person.
The Southern Hospital scandal concerns the high earnings of Emergency Department coordinator Dawid Kacprzyk, who is not yet 30 and worked in the department despite not yet having a medical specialization; the so-called VIP lounge; a fast-track admission procedure for Civic Coalition politicians; and the scandal involving the hospital’s mortuary.
During the period when Artur Habowski coordinated the mortuary’s work, bodies were allegedly photographed by him, and the photos were posted on his social media profile. He also offered to rent out the public hospital’s mortuary as a film set and proposed his services as an expert in the funeral industry.
What caused the greatest outrage, however, were reports that families were being solicited to use the services of a funeral home with which Habowski was connected. When families of the deceased chose other companies, the bodies of their loved ones were reportedly released with significant delays, and, according to Onet.pl, there was urine in the body bags.
TV Republika’s investigative team obtained a recording which clearly shows that the former coordinator of the Southern Hospital mortuary directly encouraged the family of a deceased person to use the services of his own funeral home, “Sacrum.”
Below is the conversation with a relative of the deceased person.
Artur Habowski: Has a funeral company been chosen?
Relative of the deceased person: It will probably be Służew. Służew, yes. Probably.
Artur Habowski: Have you already held any ceremony there?
Relative of the deceased person: My daughter buried her grandmother at Służew.
Artur Habowski: Could that still change?
Relative of the deceased person: I don’t think so.
Artur Habowski: Because I don’t know whether to enter it as final or not. Why am I asking? Should I speak plainly, or…?
Relative of the deceased person: Yes, please don’t…
Artur Habowski: Okay, fine. I’m asking because there are many cases where people say they want Służew, and when they hear the prices, they leave. Because it is the most expensive company in Warsaw. That is what I mean. Okay, I am telling you honestly, just between us.
Relative of the deceased person: I understand, I understand. And which one would you possibly recommend?
Artur Habowski: You know what…
Relative of the deceased person: One that is normal, let’s say.
Artur Habowski: Maybe let me put it differently. Which district are you from?
Relative of the deceased person: We live in Mokotów, and my daughter lives here in Ursynów.
Artur Habowski: Okay, fine. I will recommend… perhaps I will recommend to you a company that… people most often choose. They say their prices are reasonable and that you can really work everything out with them. It is the company Dom Pogrzebowy “Sacrum.” They have a branch, I think, probably on Roentgena Street, opposite Auchan.
Relative of the deceased person: I am not familiar with the area here, so to speak, so…
Artur Habowski: Do you know where Auchan is? I will give you a business card.
Later in the recording, the head of the hospital mortuary can be heard explaining in detail how to reach the indicated location. The editorial team also has recordings in which Habowski explains how to keep an urn containing ashes at home in violation of the law.