KARR flood relief scandal: Konieczyńska dismissed as 4.5M PLN went to connected firms

Flood relief scandal erupts

Wirtualna Polska reported on 10 August 2026 that 4.5 million PLN in flood relief funds from the Karkonosze Regional Development Agency (KARR) went to three entities based in the village of Dziwiszowa near Jelenia Góra, despite evidence that their properties suffered no flood damage. KARR, a company 99.99% owned by the Lower Silesian voivodeship self-government, was tasked with distributing aid to businesses affected by the September 2024 flood. The beneficiaries included the firm of Anna Konieczyńska's husband (200,000 PLN), a neighbor's company (over 3 million PLN), and the owner of a local television station cooperating with regional authorities (over 1 million PLN). Satellite imagery and fire department data indicated the properties were not submerged. The inspection protocol for the husband's property was drawn up ten months after the flood and described cracked terrace tiles, washed-out grout, and scratches in balcony plaster.

Dismissal and party sanctions

The KARR supervisory board dismissed Konieczyńska from her vice-president post on Tuesday 11 August. Spokesperson Michał Nowakowski cited "image and management issues" and recent reports of irregularities in flood aid distribution. The board did not appoint a replacement, leaving Hubert Papaj as the sole board member serving as president. On Monday 10 August, Konieczyńska had already been suspended from Koalicja Obywatelska (KO) membership, with regional KO leader Michał Jaros announcing she would face a party court in the coming days. In interviews with TV Republika and wPolsce24, Konieczyńska dismissed the affair as a smear and said she had nothing to reproach herself for.

Criminal investigations underway

The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) has been investigating the case since April 2026. The prosecutor's office opened proceedings on 10 or 11 August (sources differ on the exact day). The Ministry of Development and Technology and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego are also auditing the flood relief spending. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said before a cabinet meeting that there was suspicion people deciding aid allocation "were saving their own," including individuals who likely did not suffer flood damage. He noted that 62,000 individual relief payments were distributed at speed, creating room for abuse.

“We will burn out with a hot iron every case of dishonest distribution of money for flood victims.”

Political fallout

KO politician Grzegorz Schetyna listed the institutions involved and pledged full transparency.

“There will be no sacred cows, no bypassing people who may have broken the law. This case will be clarified. We will do everything to hide nothing. I guarantee it.”

Left MP Anna Maria Żukowska, a coalition member, criticized TVN's main news program for giving only cursory coverage of the dismissal while devoting extensive airtime to military procurement. President's Chancellery head Zbigniew Bogucki posted three questions for Tusk on X, contrasting the prime minister's earlier statement that he did not anticipate abuse with his current claim that problems were expected. PiS MEP Jacek Ozdoba called the affair "typical actions of swindlers" on TV wPolsce24, pointing to the chain of connections between beneficiaries.

Additional revelation

TVN24's "Superwizjer" program reported that the wife and father-in-law of KARR president Hubert Papaj purchased a house in Lubań in 2025, after the flood, yet applied for 200,000 PLN in flood relief. Residents of Kolejowa Street told reporter Grzegorz Głuszak that floodwaters never reached their properties and no emergency services intervened in the area.

Husband's firm200,000

Neighbor's firm3,000,000

Local TV owner1,000,000

Husband's firm

200000 PLN

Neighbor's firm

3000000 PLN

Local TV owner

1000000 PLN

Data from the article text