In the investigative report “The Arrangement Around Turów”, prepared by Superwizjer TVN journalists, one sentence was said about “friendly people” from the Bolesławiec waste processing plant (RIPOK), who allegedly helped conceal the illegal dumping of waste in Bogatynia by Sławomir Z.’s group. The actions of the people from Bogatynia allowed the municipality to avoid environmental fees and fees for legal waste disposal for years.
Sławomir Z., former vice-president of the Municipal Cleaning Company in Bogatynia, allegedly helped organize the illegal transportation of municipal and household waste and falsify related documents. Superwizjer TVN journalists spoke with a serving councillor who said in the report:
The existing waste dump in Bogatynia is no longer a place where mixed municipal waste can be brought. Sławek Z., together with Stella G., in agreement with G. and Dominik M., the deputy mayor, knowingly decided that more than 90 percent of the waste collected from the town and municipality of Bogatynia would continue to be illegally dumped in a cell already closed to operation, while only a small portion would be transported to the Bolesławiec RIPOK, because we have friendly people there who will not inform on us.
The authorities of Bolesławiec, although they consider the statement made by the councillor in the report to be nonsense, are nevertheless investigating this aspect. It is possible that someone at the Bolesławiec RIPOK knew that only a small portion of the waste was being legally transported to our processing plant, which served as a fig leaf for the entire operation.
Unfortunately, MZGK president Władysław Bakalarz is reluctant to speak clearly about the matter. He only states that, under the agreement signed with Bogatynia, approximately 750 Mg (750 tonnes—editor’s note) of mixed municipal waste was accepted over three years (2013–2015), in accordance with applicable law and the permits held by the company.
What does this explain about the matter? Nothing.
What is most striking in Superwizjer’s shocking report is the arrogance, insolence and sense of impunity of people entrenched in power and supported by a political party (in the report, Law and Justice). In Bolesławiec, it turns out that there are also topics the company’s president will not explain to residents by appearing on camera, because he prefers official letters and terse email responses.
It is highly probable that the Bolesławiec thread in the TVN report is a minor matter and that the company is completely clean. One thing is nevertheless common: presidents do not appear on camera when a matter is inconvenient. They pose for photographs and allow themselves to be filmed only when receiving awards and praise.