The status of the project, which cost more than a million dollars, almost five million zlotys, but never saw the light of day, was discovered by correspondents of RMF FM radio. Their findings show that the proceedings were initiated in the fall of 2016 by the then-Vice President involved — Marcin Jastrzybski, who joined the company after Law & Justice took over and finally became its president in January 2017.
Lotos sent out a request for proposals for the creation at that time cars Electricity to three companies. As RMF FM reports, the very method of selecting invited entities raises doubts. According to journalists, they were chosen by a three-person committee, including Jastrzebski himself. It is also not known what criteria Lotus’s “experts” used when selecting the contractor for analysis.
Electric from Lotus – nothing will fit here
The choice fell on the American company Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). However, her Polish partner raises the most suspicions. As RMF FM reports, the Americans created a consortium with a little-known company ArtTech, the founder’s capital of which was only PLN 5,000. PLN (this is the minimum when creating an LLC in Poland), and the registered office was at a rented address.
However, this is not the end of the controversy surrounding the mysterious Grupa Lotos project. ArtTech took part in the preparation of the analysis, despite the fact that the Polish fuel concern’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Team had previously issued negative recommendations regarding its participation in the entire project twice.
)
Reports from journalists also show that the creation of the required analysis was significantly delayed compared to the schedule, and Lotos itself did not enforce the deadlines stated in the contract. Despite this, the ArtTech account was eventually credited with $496,000. Americans received another $590,000. dollar.
Lotos spent a million dollars on … business analysis
RFM FM correspondents learned that the project was finally finished in the first phase, that is, the development of business analytics. The report cost the state-owned company more than $1 million. The next stage was the design of the car, on which Lotus intended to spend another $ 7.2 million.
Why did the project end with business analysis? We don’t know this for sure, but we do know that its completion coincided with Jastrzębski’s removal as CEO of Lotos in March 2018.
Jastrzębski also participated in another national project to build an electric car
RMF FM journalists also found other interesting information. In 2020, VEREMO, whose chairman at that time was Jastrzębski, joined the project of the National Center for Research and Development (NCBiR) to deliver electric car. Then the company received 150,000 PLN from the state treasury of the enterprise. But this is not the end of the coincidences. It also turned out that the former president of ArtTech was also associated with VERAMO at the time.
RMF FM reporters asked Marcin Jastrzębski behind the scenes of the whole affair. The latter explained that the selected consortium made the best offer. Besides, in the opinion of the former president of Lotos, the company had an experienced team to engage inothers. in projects Tesla. The former head of Lotos also argued that Tony Bozwatz, an American engineer known in the industry for design Electric carswho had to prove her professionalism.
Jastrzębski also denied that Veramo used analytics previously developed for Lotos in the NCBiR project.
Orlin investigates Lotos’ “electric” tendencies
It is also known that Orlin is also looking into the entire case. The new owner of Lotos has begun an internal inspection process looking at transparency of procedures and procedures in selecting a consortium to prepare business analysis. A spokeswoman for PKN Orlen did not disclose any details about the auditors’ findings, we only know that the company is trying to investigate the matter.
Source: RMF FM
