Polish Film Institute’s Recently Fired Former Director Facing Allegations of Mishandling Funds: ‘We Are Dealing With a Scandal’
Radosław Śmigulski, the former director of the Polish Film Institute (PISF), is facing allegations of mishandling funds during his tenure after he was fired in April.
According to a statement shared by PISF with Variety, on Tuesday “a notice was filed with the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw on suspicion of a crime committed by the former director of PISF.”
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The notice concerns an alleged “attempt to extort money on a fictitious business trip, as well as the improper and inconsistent awarding of prizes and bonuses by the former director, Mr. Radosław Śmigulski.”
The institute has stated that the Central Anticorruption Bureau has been notified of the “suspected crime.”
In another statement shared by PISF, Śmigulski’s alleged “illegal spending of the institute’s public funds for private purposes” included “paying for private court cases, the purchase of alcohol, undocumented catering services, improperly documented foreign trips, the purchase of gifts, perfume, cosmetics and clothing, and visits to nightclubs.”
The institute also decided to publicly address Śmigulski’s rebuttal in an interview for local publication “Wprost,” entitled “Confession of the Former Director of PISF: I Spent PLN 150,000 on a Dinner in Los Angeles.”
In the article, Śmigulski – who in the past made Variety‘s 500 list – admitted he wasn’t surprised by his firing. “I expected such behavior right after the result of the October elections,” he said. Recent parliamentary elections ended the domination of the right-wing party PiS (Law and Justice). He also denied all the accusations. In the meantime, Kamila Dorbach, now acting director of PISF, has taken over his duties.
“The total amount of Mr. Śmigulski’s business card expenses for the first quarter of 2024 amounted to PLN 327,000, while the amount of PLN 245,000 is the amount of expenses not yet accounted for by him,” the institute responded.
“By way of commentary, the Polish Film Institute questions whether a public official … should hold late-night talks with film industry representatives in such establishments as Raspoutine in Los Angeles, Toy Room in Mumbai or even Dolly’s Bar in Cannes.”
Earlier this month, former Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz revealed during a press conference that Dorbach has drawn up motions detailing activities “grossly exceeding public finance discipline.”
“I mention this not only to say that we are dealing with a scandal, but that this is going on and will continue both in the prosecutor’s office and the National Tax Administration,” Sienkiewicz said. “These violations are serious, indisputable, provable in a clear way, and I expect that this will not last long.”
As Dorbach confirmed to Polish press agency PAP, “We managed to obtain information and secure documents justifying the filing of a notice to the prosecutor’s office on the possibility of a crime committed by the previous director of the Institute, not only for the expenses of official cards or paying for private court hearings from the PISF budget. The notice will be filed immediately after the completion of formal legal actions.”
Variety has reached out to Dorbach and PISF for further comment. Śmigulski could not be immediately reached for comment.
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