Poland seeks immunity waiver for MEP Daniel Obajtek

Poland’s Prosecutor General, Waldemar Żurek, has formally requested the President of the European Parliament to waive the immunity of MEP Daniel Obajtek. The request seeks authorization to arrest Obajtek and place him under pretrial detention.

The investigation concerns Obajtek’s tenure as CEO of Orlen from 2018 to 2024. Prosecutors allege that in October 2023, Obajtek directed employees to artificially lower wholesale and retail fuel prices to a cap of PLN 5.99 per litre for non-economic reasons. This directive reportedly bypassed established procedures and occurred despite significant operational challenges.

According to the prosecutor’s office, these actions resulted in fuel shortages at over 600 service stations and caused damages to Orlen exceeding PLN 4.1 billion (€938.37 million). The offenses cited in the immunity waiver request could carry a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Obajtek, a representative of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, has responded to the request by challenging the motivations behind the legal action.