Twenty-nine people, including three former policemen from the anti-terrorist unit and three other officers are standing trial before the District Court in Lodz for a number of crimes, including fraud, obstruction of justice and money laundering.

For several years, the so-called "gang" of policemen forced club owners in the central city of Lodz to pay them for security. The group was run by a former police officer from an anti-terrorist unit, 35-year-old Przemyslaw G., as well as 36-year-old Slawomir F., owner of two security agencies. Both men have been taken into custody.

Most members of the police gang are accused of belonging to an organised crime racket, which is responsible for extortion, multiple assaults, fraud and money laundering.

Przemyslaw G. and other police officers are also accused of revealing official secrets, obstructing criminal proceedings, exceeding their powers and bribery. Some suspects may face up to 15 years in prison. Among the suspects are two active police officers and three women. Seven out of 29 members of the gang have pleaded guilty.

Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau, together with policemen from the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Police Headquarters, have been investigating the case for two years. The Prosecutor’s Office established that the gang operated between 2005 and 2009 in the central city of Lodz and neighbouring towns of Pabianice, Belchatow and Wielun.

The criminals acted according to a particular scenario. First, they would organise a fight in a club in which some people were injured and then persuaded club owners that they needed to hire their security agency. After the contract would be signed, when somebody got injured during a fight, they would try to keep the events under wraps, intimidate victims or witnesses, and falsify evidence. (mg/jb)

Source: PAP

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