We were ordered to direct our activities at legally operating entities, not at criminal groups and fraudsters

— says Sławomir Siwy, the President of the Customs Union Pl, who already in 2008 alarmed that the VAT mafias in Poland are widespread, in an interview with Wojciech Biedroń. He was fired for his fight against malpractice and scams.

Why did someone want Poland to become a paradise for smugglers and VAT fraudsters?

— asks Biedroń.

It was a time of perfect functioning of the mafias that appeared in our country. It was also the beginning of the prosperity of criminal groups that exploited the leaky fiscal system. (…) Everybody knew about it. They were also well aware of the weakness of the Customs Service, its underfunding and the lack of tools to prosecute criminals. Nevertheless, it was in the Chancellery of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the College of Special Services that a decision was made to remove these operational and exploratory activities from the customs officers’ powers. We were ordered to target legal entities, not criminal groups and fraudsters

— says Sławomir Siwy and reminds:

(…) The fight against this crime was blocked at every step and in a wide area through actions and omissions.

When asked about the role of politicians, he evaluates:

Mateusz Morawiecki, first as Minister of Finance, and today as Prime Minister, began to dismantle this system. For the first time in history, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance show such determination in the fight against the mafias and this is preserved in correspondence

— says Siwy.

Tłum. K.J.