Corruption in the Pomeranian Provincial Office in connection with legalisation of immigrant residence

Investigators from the Provincial Police office in Gdańsk, acting under the supervision of the territory Prosecutor's Office, conduct proceedings on corruption related to the legalization of abroad residence in the Pomeranian Provincial Office.

The case is developmental and the latest activities are the consequence of intensive operational arrangements and analysis of safe documentation.

In the autumn of last year, the police detained an authoritative of the Pomeranian Provincial Office, who was expected to accept property benefits in exchange for speeding up administrative decisions concerning the legalization of the stay. The findings show that the female could gain at least PLN 30 thousand, helping foreigners to get papers enabling legal stay in Poland. Investigators have secured on this occasion documentation and computer equipment to supply additional evidence.

On 9 June this year, in Gdańsk and Koszalin, officers detained 9 more people – Ukrainian citizens, suspected of handing bribes and mediation in a promise to gain the favour of an official. They were to organise and transfer property benefits in exchange for the “fix” of residence cards at the provincial office. The prosecution has presented them with allegations under Article 230a §1 of the Criminal Code, which concerns corruption in public institutions. All detainees were placed under police supervision and banned from contacting another suspects. They're facing up to 8 years of imprisonment.

The investigation is ongoing. The police and the D.A. don't regulation out any more detentions. Testimony, papers and data from safe electronic media are analysed. The scale may be greater than originally assumed. Investigators stress that the substance is not only legal but besides social – it concerns the integrity of administrative procedures and the credibility of state institutions.