The Polish National Foundation is starting to share information, the Watchdog Polska association Civic Network Watchdog informed on Twitter. He attached a scan of the invoice for the yacht, which the foundation established to promote Poland bought for over EUR 900,000, with a prepayment of 722,000. “Transparency won!” – commented activists.
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In October 2017, the authorities of the Polish National Foundation together with members of the government and the sailor Mateusz Kusznierewicz announced the launch of the Polska100 project on the occasion of the centenary of Poland regaining independence. The Olympian was to promote Poland during a two-year voyage to one hundred ports around the world. For this purpose, PFN purchased the third generation VO 70 competition and training yacht.
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In 2018, the cooperation between PFN and Kusznierewicz and the operator of the project, the Navigare Foundation, was severed.
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No voyage around the world
As the management board of PFN informed at the time, “after receiving the settlement of the first tranche of funds that were transferred to the Navigare Foundation, it turned out that the items included in these financial documents, the spending of this subsidy raise serious doubts.” According to PFN, it also turned out that the Navigare Foundation did not pay part of the salaries to the crew who worked on the construction of the yacht, but “paid the invoices of the salaries of companies owned or associated with Mateusz Kusznierewicz.”
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According to the then statement of the Navigare Foundation, “the salaries of the crew of the cruise and those leading the project were approved by PFN in the signed budget”. The Foundation also assured that by the end of March 2018 “it had settled all liabilities to the staff, employees and subcontractors in due order.”
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Eventually, the yacht set out on a cruise with a different crew, and the project name was changed to I love Poland. Its aim was to promote Poland by participating in prestigious regattas.
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Two years ago, the then president of PFN Filip Rdesiński was not able to say exactly how much the yacht cost. – I can tell you that this boat cost less than a million euros. I don’t remember the exact amount, but about 900,000 euros. It is not new, but it is fully operational and ready to take off – he assured.
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“Transparency won”
On Friday, the association Sieć Obywatelska Watchdog Polska, which complained about PFN for not disclosing public information, posted a scan of the “invoice for the yacht” on Twitter.
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“Openness won! The Polish National Foundation is starting to share information” – wrote the association. “PFN’s disclosure matters accelerated after we filed a notification of a crime related to non-disclosure of public information – Art. 23 UDIP,” he added, referring to the Act on Access to Public Information.
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