Head of charity helping sick children arrested for fraud
Polish police have detained the chairman of a foundation helping sick children who is suspected of defrauding donations.
The chairman of a charity foundation that was supposed to help sick children had devised a mechanism to defraud donors of money, Justyna Pasieczynska, the spokesperson of the National Revenue Administration (KAS) reported. He transferred money from charity fundraisers to his other companies' accounts and bought real estate and luxury cars.
The foundation ran charity collections, receiving millions in aid for children, but only 1 percent of the money raised went to beneficiaries.
"According to the information on the foundation's website, the amounts collected did not exceed PLN 1.1 million (EUR 250,000). In reality, more than 560,000 donors contributed more than PLN 28.5 million (EUR 6.41 million) to the foundation's bank accounts," Pasieczynska said.
The suspect has already heard the charges against him and has been placed under temporary arrest for three months.
"The (tax - PAP) services secured assets belonging to the foundation's chairman and companies belonging to him, i.e. 33 properties worth over PLN 9.8 million (EUR 2.2 million), 3 luxury cars worth over PLN 1.2 million (EUR 270,000), cash: over 615,000 in Polish zloty (EUR 138,000), over 6,500 US dollars and 2,300 euros," Pasieczynska said. "The prosecutor blocked almost PLN 1.8 million (EUR 400,000) in the bank accounts of the foundation and its subsidiaries." (PAP)
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