KO deputies: the government financed Bąkiewicz's real estate for PLN 1.5 million

Six properties worth PLN 1.5 million, six cars, large screens, mobile studio, and even clothes – incl. for this – according to the members of KO: Dariusz Joński and Michał Szczerba – the associations of Robert Bąkiewicz spent the money awarded as part of the Patriotic Fund subsidies.

Robert Bąkiewicz emphasizes that the money obtained from the Patriotic Fund was spent on the implementation of the statutory goals of the associations. Robert Bąkiewicz: the March of Independence and the National Guard. In October last year, they informed that these organizations received a total of PLN 3 million (the March of Independence PLN 1.3 million; the National Guard PLN 1.7 million) from the Patriotic Fund, a project organized by the Institute of National Heritage and National Thought under the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Roman Dmowski and Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

On Friday, at a press conference, KO politicians presented their next findings – this time on what Bąkiewicz’s associations spent the subsidies received from the government for.

They informed, among other things, that they had reached a notarial deed regarding the purchase by the National Guard of real estate near Warsaw located in the Masovian landscape park. “It is an area of ​​9,000 square meters, including six properties – one residential, one commercial and four immovable. It was 1.5 million zlotys” – said Ioński.

According to Szczerba, the residential building has two floors and an area of ​​253 sq m. “It is something à la manor, you can say – such + Soplicowo Bąkiewicza +” – assessed the deputy KO. The remaining five properties are – as he added – buildings used for typical tourism activities. “It is a building with an area of ​​101 sq m and four more – such tourist cottages: 39 sq m, 33 sq m and two buildings, 32 sq m each.” – Szczerba enumerated. He added that earlier this complex was used for tourism.

The MPs pointed out that, in accordance with the rules of the competition, under which the National Guard received PLN 1.7 million in subsidies, the contract concluded concluded with the Institute of National Heritage and National Thought, there should be a reservation that the real estate can be sold at the earliest five years after the purchase. “In fact, they can cash this property right now” – emphasized Szczerba.

Robert Bąkiewicz told PAP on Friday that the real estate purchased by the National Guard was to be allocated to its statutory goals, such as organizing training courses, meetings and improving the qualifications of activists . “This is nothing special. It is exceptional, however, that the communities in our space, the patriotic one, usually do not have this type of real estate. I think that the deputies would rather want it to remain this way, so that our environment would not develop” – assessed by the president of the National Movement.

He called “insinuations” suggestions that he would soon sell real estate near Warsaw. “These are insinuations close to slander; they build aversion to our environment in the public space” – assessed Bąkiewicz. According to him, the regulations of the competition for subsidies from the Patriotic Fund are an integral part of the contract concluded between the National Guard and the Institute of National Heritage and National Thought, so the provision of five years, during which the real estate cannot be sold, is binding on the association.

Real estate is not the only – according to KO deputies – investments financed by organizations related to Bąkiewicz from government subsidies. According to Szczerba, the National Guard has also purchased an off-road Volkswagen Amarok and a Citroen Jumper bus. The Independence March Association bought two Fiats Ducato, Fiat Freemont and Peugeot. “What surprised us was, apart from the purchase of wall screens with scaffolding, screens without mobile scaffolding, purchase of a sound system for almost PLN 75 million, a mobile studio for PLN 152 thousand, power generators for PLN 41 thousand, these bills include everything, including that there are even technical tests of these cars paid for by taxpayers or even fuel for aggregates “- said Ioński.

He added that one of the associations financed even the purchase of cargo pants, vests from the subsidy , T-shirts and fleece. “In short, full equipment and infrastructure is purchased” – said the KO MP. Szczerba added that on each of the almost 1,000 invoices he had the opportunity to review with Ioński, there is a stamp with the words: “financed by the Patriotic Fund”.

Ioński also noted that the government recently refused financial support for a children’s and youth helpline run by the Empowering Children Foundation. “Many are probably wondering why someone spends 1.5 million zlotys of our money on real estate for nationalists. Well, I can imagine that there will be trainings for paramilitary organizations that will suppress or disrupt legal assemblies” – emphasized Ioński.

Members announced that that they will pursue the issue of investments of Bąkiewicz’s associations, incl. the circumstances in which the owner of a tourist resort near Warsaw sold it to the National Guard.

Back in October, when MPs: Joński and Szczerba first publicized subsidies for Bąkiewicz’s associations, director of the Institute of National Thought Heritage, prof. Jan Żaryn emphasized that “all associations or other entities that applied for subsidies from the Patriotic Fund, and even more so those that received money, operate legally”. He assessed that “suggesting that the transfer of money to associations associated with the person of Robert Bąkiewicz as allegedly crossing some boundaries, or even suggesting a crime, is unauthorized.”

He recalled, that the Patriotic Fund amounted to PLN 30 million. “There were about 2,500 applications for the sum of PLN 550 million, therefore there were no applications that would receive 100% of the requested amount” – he indicated. He explained that “it was generally a subsidy of 40-50% of the requested amount”. “Decisions were made so that as many applicants as possible would receive money” – said prof. Żaryn.

author: Marta Rawicz