The Trial in the So-Called Land Reclamation Affair: Politics and the Demand for Prison. Senator and Others

Will Senator Stanisław Gawłowski, former Secretary General of the Civic Platform and head of the West Pomeranian structures of this party, go to prison? Such a penalty - 6.5 years of unconditional imprisonment and a fine of PLN 180,000 - was demanded by the prosecutor during Monday's hearing in the trial concerning the so-called melioration scandal, i.e. irregularities - including corruption in nature, "rigging" tenders - in investments carried out almost a decade ago by the West Pomeranian Board of Melioration and Water Facilities in Szczecin.

The National Prosecutor's Office, still under the United Right (2017), accused the former MP and current senator of taking bribes - accepting money, expensive watches, an apartment in Croatia - in exchange for, for example, arranging favorable contracts with Szczecin's land improvement company. The indictment was based, among other things, on the testimony of Bogdan K., who slandered a prominent activist of the opposition at the time during the investigation. However, in court, this co-defendant - along with 32 others, in the so-called land improvement scandal - withdrew his testimony, accusing the prosecutor conducting the proceedings of politically motivated pressure: he was allegedly forced by him to incriminate the parliamentarian through "mining arrest". Let us recall: in the case of the so-called land improvement scandal, Stanisław Gawłowski was temporarily arrested for 3 months (2018), from where he was released only after paying bail of half a million zlotys. He never admitted to committing the acts (including corruption and money laundering) charged against him in the indictment.

The trial of Senator Stanisław Gawłowski and other defendants in the so-called melioration scandal, including his wife, is ongoing in the District Court in Szczecin. During Monday's (30 June) hearing, the evidentiary proceedings ended and the parties began their closing arguments. The prosecutor demanded a sentence of 6.5 years of unconditional imprisonment and a fine of PLN 180,000 for the accused senator. For his wife - 1.5 years of imprisonment, suspended for 4 years.

For the main accused - Tomasz P., former president of the West Pomeranian Board of Land Reclamation and Water Facilities in Szczecin - the prosecutor demanded a sentence of 2 years of imprisonment, suspended for a period of 5 years.

The prosecutor also demanded a sentence of unconditional imprisonment - for 3.5 years - for the aforementioned Bogdan K., who first slandered corruption, and then withdrew his incriminating testimony and apologized to Senator Gawłowski. Let us recall: some of the defendants in the so-called melioration scandal pleaded guilty and voluntarily submitted to the penalty.

Closing arguments - this time by the defense - have been scheduled for the next hearings - in July and August. The verdict will most likely be announced after the holidays. ©℗

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