In Warsaw, prosecutors have charged a senior official with accepting a bribe. Denmark grants permits for a second pipeline running from Russia to Germany. In sports, England rugby face disciplinary action just two days before the World Cup final. And Halloween and All Saints’ Day in Poland: just what will be happening over the next few days. Prosecutors in Warsaw have formally charged a senior city official with bribery offences. The man, who under Polish privacy law, can only be named as „Artur W.”, was arrested earlier this week by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, CBA.
The official had been serving as the mayor of the Warsaw district of Włochy, but has now been removed from office.
The alleged offences involve the official accepting 200,000PLN from a Warsaw property developer in exchange for favourable zoning decisions.
The developer, identified as „Sabri B.”, has also been charged. He’s understood to be a Turkish businessman living in Poland and is the former owner of the Pogon Szczecin Football club.
The Civic Platform political party, of which Artur W. was a member, have been quick to distance themselves, expelling him from the party yesterday.
The situation is a dilemma for the party which has previously called for the CBA to be shut down and replaced by Police as well as increasing powers for local authorities like that of the accused official.
If found guilty, the official faces up to eight years in prison.
Denmark has granted permits for a new gas pipeline between Russia and Germany to be built in its waters.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will run from northern Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Almost all of the 2,400 km pipe is already laid and the permits from Denmark will allow construction to be finished.
Nord Stream 2 is a controversial topic as it bypasses central and eastern europe to take gas directly to Germany. Some worry this could cut off Poland and Ukraine from transit fees they currently receive from existing over-land pipelines. The company building the pipeline says increasing demand will mean existing pipes will still be needed.
But the most controversial part of the issue is that Nord Stream 2 would increase European dependence on Russian gas, something Poland especially is strongly against and is actually building its own pipeline going away from Russia to Norwagian gas supplies instead.
Germany and Russia support the pipeline and have pointed to shrinking reserves in the North Sea as a reason turning to Russian gas.
Poland and Ukraine, along with the United States have criticised the Nord Stream 2 project. President Trump said the pipeline would make Germany a „hostage” to Russia and US officials have expressed concern over the pipeline being controlled by Gazprom, a company majority owned by the Russian government.
With all the permits now granted, the pipeline is expected to be finished early next year.
In sports, England’s rugby team are facing disciplinary action after breaking rugby’s respect rules at a World Cup semi-final game against New Zealand.
England have been handed a fine of £2,000, about 10,000 PLN, after World Rugby determined the team violated rules on showing respect for cultural challenges. The teams had been about to play for a place in the final when the famous New Zealand All-Blacks performed the „haka”, a traditional dance from indigenous New Zealand culture.
In response, the England team formed a „V” formation in which some English players crossed the halfway line onto the New Zealand side of the pitch. World Rugby deemed this violated its rules on cultural respect.
And it’s Halloween today but in Poland the big day is tomorrow.
The tradition of Halloween is far from popular in Poland, with less than 20% planning to celebrate it this year according to a study by Havas Media Group.
Instead, the big day for most Poles is November 1st, All Saints’ Day. Traditionally Poles visit the graves of loved ones to pray and leave flowers and lanterns at tombstones.
On November 1st and 2nd, cemeteries light up with candles and lamps, and families and friends come together somberly and quietly to remember the dead.
It’s a day quite unlike any other and a stark contrast to Halloween.
Please remember Friday and Saturday are public holidays so shops will be closed and Good Morning Gdansk will be off air. And if you’re visiting, please do remember to be respectful of the somber attitude over the coming days.
Weather for Thursday: Another bright but chilly day today with temperatures peaking at 6 degrees celsius, 43 fahrenheit. We went below freezing last night and it’s a similar story tonight, getting down to -2 celsius, 29 fahrenheit.
However you’re celebrating this season, we at RGEN wish you a safe and pleasant holiday.
RGEN
