Head of Amber Gold, Marcin P., leaving prosecutors in Gdańsk, 17.08.2012 Photo: PAP/Piotr Pędziszewski
Marcin P. [name withheld in accordance with Polish privacy laws], the head of the defunct savings outfit, heard six criminal charges, spokesman for Gdansk district prosecutors, Wojciech Szelagowski told journalists, Friday.
The head of Amber Gold is accused of not filing financial annual reports, as well as infringing Polish banking law.
Prosecutors also accused Marcin P. of falsifying documents, stating that he “presented what he stated were authentic bank transfer documents amounting to the sum of 50 million zloty (12 million euro) in order to register his company.”
“As such, he deceitfully misled the court into providing false certification,” Szelagowski said, adding that Marcin P. is also accused of providing currency exchange services without the proper licences.
If found guilty, Marcin P. faces five years in prison as well as a 5 million zloty (1.2 million euro) fine.
The criminal accusations comes as Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) on Thursday made inspections of both the residence of company founder and director Marcin P., as well as 13 other sites connected with the firm.
Functionaries seized 57 kg of gold, 1 kg of platinum and less than 1 kg of silver according to the Reuters news agency, as well as around 500 files containing invoices, details of transfers and other accounting information.
Earlier this week it had been reported that besides Amber Gold's bank account being empty, no gold had been located.
The collapse of the company, which had been operating without a banking licence thanks to a loophole in the law, has left clients up in arms, with an estimated 50,000 customers currently unable to withdraw funds.
Some 80 million zloty (20 million euro) is reportedly owed to clients. (jb)
Source: PAP