{"id":72861,"date":"2024-06-25T18:59:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T08:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=53773"},"modified":"2024-06-25T18:59:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T08:59:49","slug":"pkp-cargo-targets-former-management-and-prime-minister-in-legal-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=72861","title":{"rendered":"PKP Cargo targets former management and Prime Minister in legal case"},"content":{"rendered":"

PKP Cargo is pursuing legal action against its former management. The Polish state rail freight operator suspects its previous board of committing a crime that led to the company\u2019s fragile financial situation. It also seeks to hold former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responsible for policy harming PKP Cargo.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>On 20 June, PKP Cargo turned to Warsaw\u2019s prosecutor\u2019s office in what seems to be an attempt to hold its former management accountable for the company\u2019s troubled finances. According to a press release, PKP Cargo suspects its previous board of committing a crime. The freight operator says that the board failed to properly protect the company\u2019s interests and act on a solid legal foundation, for which it carried responsibility.<\/p>\n

The supposed failure to take responsibility for PKP Cargo\u2019s interests followed a decision by former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The company says that Morawiecki likely overstepped his boundaries by drawing up a policy that obligated PKP Cargo to prioritise coal transport in July 2022, leading to significant losses for the company. The freight operator expresses doubt over the legal foundation of the damaging measure, and accuses the previous board of putting it into practice \u201cwithout due diligence\u201d.<\/p>\n

In its notification to the prosecutor\u2019s office, PKP Cargo also highlighted Morawiecki\u2019s responsibility for bringing chaos to the company\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n

Obligation of the law<\/h2>\n

Marcin Wojew\u00f3dka, current acting president of PKP Cargo\u2019s board, says that the company is obligated to take legal action. \u201cReading the collected information leads to the conclusion that PKP Cargo undertook the implementation of the so-called coal decisions without due diligence in verifying the legal basis of the action and without adequate protection of the material interests of PKP Cargo, for which the then collegiate Management Board of PKP Cargo was responsible\u201d, Wodew\u00f3dka says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, the very manner of implementing the decisions in question caused significant material damage to the company. Therefore, there is an absolute necessity for the current Management Board of the company to submit a notification to the prosecutor’s office – this is an obligation resulting from the provisions of law\u201d, he adds.<\/p>\n

A rough patch<\/h2>\n

PKP Cargo is experiencing a rough patch, similar to many state-owned rail freight operators around Europe. The Polish company appears to have a budget hole of 1,17 billion euros, and its volumes and share value are following a steep downward trajectory.<\/p>\n

When the current management board took office earlier this year, it was quick to assign inactive status<\/a> to a third of its workforce, allowing it to reduce wages by 40 per cent and save money. The company expressed hope that a market revival<\/a> would bring improvement to its business situation.<\/p>\n

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