Polish officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau in Łódź have arrested another suspect in connection with an investigation into members of a religious group suspected of fraudulently selling food destined for refugees and most deprived persons, funded by the EU.
They were acting on a request from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Katowice (Poland).
As previously reported, the religious group under investigation received 2,500 tonnes of food, worth over €3.7 million euros destined for people facing poverty and social exclusion, including refugees and the homeless, under the European Funds for Food Aid Program 2021-2027.
The food was provided by Poland’s National Agricultural Support Centre (Krajowy Ośrodek Wsparcia Rolnictwa – KOWR), as part of the implementation of the EU’s Aid Program, co-financed up to 90% by the European Social Fund Plus. Under the agreements signed with the KOWR, Poland’s paying agency, the association also received more than €500,000 for administrative and transport costs, including storage, also financed by the EU.
However, based on the evidence, the association fraudulently sold part of the food for profit to retail outlets in Poland and abroad, instead of delivering it for free to the intended beneficiaries.
This investigation was opened in April 2025 by national authorities. The EPPO in Katowice took over the case at the end of May 2025. In July last year, six suspects were arrested and charged.
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Polish courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
