Corruption trial around power plant insurance policy

Former MP, Aleskandra Jakubowska, of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), has been accused of taking over a million zloty (220,000 euro) in bribes in connection to insurance for the PGE Elektrownia Opole, a coal-based power station in southern Poland.

The former politicians husband, Maciej, has also been accused of accepting around 500,000 zloty (110,000 euro) in bribes.

The couple was to receive the money from the power station’s insurance firm in 2002 as they brokered a 10 million zloty (2.2 million euro) insurance deal with the company. The ‘brokering fee’ for the deal was to be 20 percent of the total insurance policy – half of the sum was to be funneled straight into Jakubowska’s bank account.

The power plant was originally insured by a smaller company – Heros – whose director, Stanislawa Ch., left and took the insurance policy with him to PZU S.A., Poland’s largest insurance company. Jakubowska supported Stanislawa Ch.’s move and was to allegedly receive payment in return for supporting her candidacy to the position as head of the Opole division of PZU.

Jakobowska faces 12 years in prison. Eighteen people related to the corruption case await trial, including Stanislawa Ch.

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