European Prosecutor investigates Polish flood relief fund scandal

The European Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of flood relief funds in Poland. The probe follows reports that approximately 4.5 million PLN, intended for businesses affected by the 2024 floods, was distributed to three companies in the village of Dziwiszów in Lower Silesia.

Investigations by the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) and journalistic inquiries suggest significant irregularities within the Karkonoska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego (KARR). One beneficiary, a company owned by the husband of KARR's former vice president, Anna Konieczyńska, received a maximum ministerial loan for alleged flood damage that reportedly included minor repairs to a building located on a hill. Other funds were distributed to the vice president's neighbors and a local television station owner.

Following the revelations, Anna Konieczyńska has been removed from her position at KARR and suspended from the Koalicja Obywatelska party. The investigation is particularly focused on the involvement of EU funds, which falls under the jurisdiction of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.