Poland investigates state refiner’s alleged Hezbollah ties

Polish authorities are currently investigating the Swiss branch of the state-run oil company PKN Orlen, following allegations of connections with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as reported by Polish media. The scrutiny started after reports surfaced that Samer A., the former head of Orlen Trading Switzerland (OTS), may have ties to the Iran-supported group, an accusation he has refuted.

The situation prompted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to organize a meeting involving prosecutors and special services to delve into these alleged links. On Twitter, Tusk emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “Poles must know the truth.”

National prosecutor Dariusz Korneluk expressed his alarm over the revelations on Tuesday, noting that Orlen had channeled over 1.5 billion zloty (approximately $370 million) to its Swiss subsidiary under Samer A.’s leadership without proper oversight. According to a recent report by Orlen, this substantial sum was purportedly allocated for Venezuelan oil that was never received.

Further controversy surrounds Samer A.’s appointment as president of OTS, established in 2022. Polish media suggest that his appointment was pushed through despite security services’ reservations, allegedly upon the direct request of Daniel Obajtek, then-president of Orlen. Obajtek, reportedly supported by the former right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government, is accused of using Orlen to support the party’s political endeavors.

Additionally, prosecutors are investigating several other aspects of Orlen’s operations. These include its merger with another domestic oil firm, Grupa Lotos, and the resultant sale of significant assets to Saudi Aramco, which allegedly resulted in losses amounting to at least 4 billion zloty. The sale of assets to Hungary’s MOL, which is suspected of having connections with the Russian government, is also under scrutiny.

Another ongoing probe focuses on suspected underpricing of petrol by Orlen last year, potentially linked to the general elections, which is believed to have led to further losses of around one billion zloty.