CENTRAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU always in the interest of Poland Protective Umbrella over the Waste Mafia – Two Individuals Detained - News

On 24 February 2026, officers from the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice detained two individuals in the Silesian Voivodeship in connection with an investigation into the activities of the so-called waste mafia. Among those detained is an active public official from the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice. During the operation, officers conducted searches at the suspects’ places of residence and work.

Procedural actions were also carried out at the Municipal Office in Ruda Śląska and the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice. Documentation, mobile phones, and other data storage devices were secured.

The “Protective Umbrella” Mechanism

Officers from the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice are conducting an investigation into suspected trading in influence between 2020 and 2024 in Katowice, Gliwice, and other locations across Poland. The case concerns alleged mediation in obtaining favourable environmental decisions related to the management, processing, collection, and disposal of hazardous waste.

According to the findings, the criminal scheme involved providing information about planned inspections, failure to perform official duties, and improper responses to identified environmental protection violations.

These actions were intended to create a so-called “protective umbrella” for entities linked to illegal waste handling, including hazardous waste. The scheme allegedly enabled the operation of illegal waste storage sites throughout the country, resulting in the de facto impunity of entities running unlawful hazardous waste dumps. Such sites cause large-scale environmental degradation and pose serious risks to human life and health.

Mediation and Financial Benefits Totalling Nearly PLN 285,000

The investigation indicates that one of the detained individuals, exploiting his status as a public official within a unit responsible for combating environmental crime at the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice, allegedly failed to fulfil his official duties by imposing inadequate penalties for violations. In return, he accepted financial benefits. The value of the benefits received has been estimated at PLN 285,000.

The second detainee is suspected of trading in influence, including within the Police, the Prosecutor’s Office, and Provincial Inspectorates for Environmental Protection, as well as mediating the transfer of funds to public officials to ensure the “protective umbrella.” Additionally, he allegedly issued invoices certifying untruthful transactions for other entities operating within the waste mafia sector. He also acted as an intermediary in securing favourable outcomes of inspections conducted by environmental protection authorities.

Charges and Preventive Measures

The suspects were brought to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, where they were charged with, among other offences, participation in an organised criminal group, abuse of power by a public official, trading in influence, offering financial benefits, money laundering, and crimes against the reliability of documents.

The prosecutor filed motions for pre-trial detention. The court granted both motions.

The Investigation Remains Ongoing

In December 2025, prosecutors from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, together with officers from the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice, conducted searches and site inspections at a property located in Ruda Śląska. Documentation related to hazardous waste management, processing, collection, and disposal, as well as financial and accounting records, was secured. Soil samples were collected due to suspected hazardous waste storage.

Further procedural actions are planned.

CBA Press Team