Polish authorities are currently investigating a company based in Warsaw that received around 100 million Polish złoty (approximately $27.5 million) from a Korean arms manufacturer. This financial transaction reportedly followed NATO governments’ multi-billion-dollar weapons agreements with South Korea.
The investigation, initiated by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw in June, is focused on allegations of large-scale invoice falsification, as outlined in two articles of the Polish penal code. Local broadcaster TVN24 reports that, while the identities of both the Korean supplier and the Polish recipient company have not been disclosed, the nature of the offenses suggests serious consequences, with penalties ranging from five to 25 years of imprisonment.
According to spokesperson Mateusz Martyniuk from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation is centered on two multi-million-value-added tax (VAT) invoices issued by the Polish company to the Korean arms manufacturer for consulting services. Martyniuk stated, “We are investigating the suspicion that the invoices contained false statements regarding circumstances relevant to the determination of public debt.”
The timeline of events reveals that the Polish company in question was established in 2019 by two Korean nationals and is officially registered as a consulting business. Despite its origins, the company reportedly generated minimal revenue until late 2022 and early 2023 when its income skyrocketed to nearly 100 million złoty. Much of this influx of funds occurred shortly after Poland secured its first contracts with South Korea for the procurement of military equipment, including K2 Black Panther main battle tanks, K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, and FA-50 fighter jets in 2022, under the former Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. The agreements are valued at nearly $7 billion and are currently expanding, with new deals recently signed by current minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz for further deliveries and local tank production.
As the investigation progresses, authorities have not indicated whether the ongoing probe will impact current arms shipments. However, they have confirmed that the case remains active. Attempts to contact the legal representatives of the company for comment were unsuccessful, as the firm is presently registered at a mailing address in a Warsaw office building. A source involved in the investigation stated, “We are now carefully verifying where, or rather to whom, the money from the Polish company went based on subsequent contracts.”
