The Polish public prosecutor's office has launched a special investigation into the state-controlled oil giant Orlen, amid suspicions regarding ties between the head of the Swiss branch of the group and Lebanese Hezbollah, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office yesterday. This announcement follows reports in the Polish press accusing Samer A., the head of Orlen Trading Switzerland (OTS), of connections to Hezbollah, allegations he denies. According to media reports, Samer A., a Polish-Lebanese citizen, became the head of Orlen Trading Switzerland, established in 2022, despite objections from the group's security services, at the request of former Orlen president Daniel Obajtek.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke on Monday about potential connections between a former Orlen official and Hezbollah. A report issued by Orlen last week indicated that Orlen Trading Switzerland lost approximately 350 million euros due to unfulfilled oil orders, particularly from Venezuela. Polish prosecutor Dariusz Korniluk told the media that this amount was spent without any oversight. Samer A. had previously been suspected of trading in Iranian oil, which is subject to American sanctions. The whereabouts of Samer A. and Obajtek remain unknown, although the latter's name appears among potential candidates for the Law and Justice party in the upcoming European elections.
