In Tarnobrzeg, in South East Poland, the trial of former employees of the Cooperative Bank in Grębów has commenced. The gang, led by Mrs. Janeczka, is accused of embezzling approximately 55 million Polish zlotys ($13mln). Among the accused in the dock are the former bank boss and the former chief accountant. The oldest among the accused is an 85-year-old individual.
- More News from Poland on our Homepage.
- Sign up to our Newsletter
On Tuesday, the trial began against former employees of the now-defunct Cooperative Bank in Grębów. The accused are alleged to have embezzled around 55 million Polish zlotys over a period of 15 years. The entire operation was reportedly overseen by the 70-year-old bank director, Janina K.
Retirees Accused
Furthermore, the accused include Janina K.’s 44-year-old son, Krzysztof K., who worked as a loans officer, 73-year-old Genowefa K., the vice president of the board and the chief accountant, 64-year-old Danuta R., a specialist in municipal and savings transactions, internal auditor, 62-year-old Bożena S., a senior inspector for savings and deposits, a member of the supervisory board, 60-year-old Teresa R., a member of the board and a senior economic inspector, and two other members of the supervisory board – 81-year-old Helena K. and the eldest among the accused, 85-year-old Marian R.
- Follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter) to stay up to date with News from Poland.
All the accused will answer in court for their involvement in an organized criminal group, and Janina K. will face charges for directing the illicit operation. They are also suspected of causing substantial property damage and misappropriating entrusted assets on a large scale. Meanwhile, the bank president, her son, and Genowefa K. have also been accused of committing two frauds at the expense of other banks.
Money Spent on Stock Market
One of the participants in Mrs. Janeczka’s gang has confessed and revealed the nature of the entire operation.
“We lost all the money on the stock market. It was a pyramid that couldn’t be stopped. But I didn’t come up with this. It was all planned by the president, and she was the one in charge. When I tried to get out of it, Janina mocked me, saying, ‘What will you do, report us?’ Then, she beat me and pulled my hair,”
Investigators have not yet been able to independently verify what exactly happened to the money.
So far, this woman is the only one who has been questioned during the trial. In the courtroom, she had to deal with unpleasant comments from her co-defendants, the judge had to intervene to calm them.
According to information provided by the prosecutor’s office, the suspects operated from 2004 to 2019 in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. As bank employees, they defrauded their clients, took out loans in their names, established fictitious accounts, and withdrew cash on behalf of deceased. The suspects could face up to 10 years of imprisonment.
At the end of 2019, the District Court in Rzeszów declared the bankruptcy of the Grębów Bank. Fortunately, most customers have recovered their lost money, thanks to the Banking Guarantee Fund, which compensated for the losses. So far, it has paid out 22 million Polish zlotys to the victims. Several individuals are still fighting to reclaim their funds.
