IT specialists who serviced Belsat accused of withdrawing $1.8 million through fictitious services
The District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw uncovered a scheme for withdrawing millions of funds from Polish state television through fictitious services for the Belsat TV channel. Two suspects for several years forged invoices and overstated the cost of IT work, causing huge financial losses to the media holding.
The prosecutor's office has brought official charges against two men — Krzysztof M. and Szymon P. As reported by Interia Wydarzenia, criminal cases were initiated based on a statement from the liquidator of Telewizja Polska (TVP), filed in July 2024. The department is now conducting two separate investigations concerning financial manipulations during the servicing of the Belarusian-language TV channel TV Biełsat.
The total amount of losses caused by individuals responsible for property matters of TVP in the period from August 2018 to January 2024 is estimated at over 7 million zlotys, which is equivalent to about 1.8 million dollars.
According to investigative materials, Krzysztof M. systematically received remuneration for IT services for Belsat, which he did not actually perform. The accused issued 385 fictitious invoices for approximately 4.5 million zlotys (over 1.1 million dollars), and later used these forged documents when submitting tax declarations. A second investigation, covering the period from April 2019 to January 2024, revealed the issuance of false VAT invoices for over 5.1 million zlotys (approximately 1.3 million dollars) for services not rendered.
The second defendant in the case, Szymon P., is accused of deliberately misleading the TVP management regarding the actual cost of his work. By overstating the cost of IT services for Belsat, he processed 295 invoices, through which he withdrew approximately 4.2 million zlotys (over 1 million dollars). The prosecutor's office qualified these actions as leading to the disadvantageous disposal of property on a large scale.
Both defendants categorically denied their guilt in the charges brought against them. To ensure the further conduct of investigative actions, the prosecutor's office applied strict restrictive measures to the suspects. Krzysztof M. is obliged to deposit property bail in the amount of 170 thousand zlotys (about 44 thousand dollars), and Szymon P. — 200 thousand zlotys (about 51 thousand dollars). Additionally, the men are prohibited from leaving the territory of Poland, with their passports confiscated, and they must report twice a week to a police station as part of the supervision procedure.
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