Investigation into the construction of the Vistula Spit canal will be extended

On November 18, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk announced the extension of the investigation concerning the implementation of the Vistula Spit canal construction project. The proceedings are being conducted at the request of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK), which in June submitted two notifications to the prosecutor’s office regarding suspected crimes committed by the former Director of the Maritime Office and the former Minister of Maritime Economy.

Vistula Spit canal under the scrutiny of investigators

Let us recall that exactly a year ago, in November 2023, NIK published a report from an inspection conducted regarding the implementation of the Multiannual Program for the Construction of a Waterway Connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdańsk. According to the report, the project, with a total value of almost PLN 2 billion, turned out to be an example of mismanagement at the highest level and multiple cases of overstepping authority by state administration officials.

Critical analysis by NIK revealed that 160 out of 161 tasks of the project were completed with delays, which in some cases reached nearly six years. The project’s budget was exceeded by PLN 157.7 million, and the costs of irregularities alone amounted to PLN 381,000.

As a result, NIK submitted two notifications to the prosecutor’s office regarding the possibility of crimes committed during the implementation of the Vistula Spit canal project:

• by the former Director of the Maritime Office, who in 2019–2020 concluded execution contracts exceeding the program’s budget by PLN 157.7 million;
• by the former Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, who in 2016 failed to define the necessary financial and material scope of the investment and, in 2019–2020, did not inform the Council of Ministers about the increased value of the investment.

NIK accuses both officials of acting to the detriment of the public interest and proceeding contrary to applicable legal regulations.

The investigation will last until 2025

The investigation is being conducted by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk, responsible for the region where the negligence and potential crimes occurred. After reviewing the extensive NIK notifications, the Prosecutor decided that more time would be needed to analyze the evidence. In particular, the acquisition of supplementary documents from other ministries involved in the project and the questioning of witnesses are planned. Additionally, the appointment of an expert to assess the economic aspects of the irregularities is being considered.

By the decision of the Gdańsk Prosecutor, the investigation will be extended until April 17, 2025. So far, no charges have been brought against anyone for committing a crime, but the Gdańsk-based Gazeta Wyborcza suggested that the former Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation might lose parliamentary immunity.