Polish prosecutors, counterintelligence, and tax authorities are investigating a Warsaw-based company that received nearly 100 million złoty (about $25 million) from a South Korean defense contractor shortly after multi-billion-dollar arms deals were signed between Warsaw and Seoul.
The investigation, launched in June by the Warsaw Regional Prosecutor’s Office, is linked to Poland’s high-value defense purchases from South Korea.
The agreements, first signed in 2022 under then-Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, have since been amended and expanded. Current Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz signed further agreements last week covering additional deliveries and the local production of K2 tanks. The total value of these orders is approaching $7 billion.
Prosecutor’s office spokesperson Mateusz Martyniuk confirmed the criminal probe to tvn24.pl, saying it concerns “the issuance by a Polish company to a Korean defense industry company of two VAT invoices for multi-million amounts for advisory services.”
Martyniuk added that investigators suspect the invoices falsely represented facts relevant to determining tax obligations. No charges have been filed so far, and the case is being conducted “in rem,” meaning against unknown persons.
The prosecutors are operating under Articles 271a and 277a of Poland’s penal code, which cover falsifying invoices. Article 277a allows for prison sentences of 5 to 25 years if the falsified invoice or invoices involve sums exceeding ten times the statutory threshold for “property of great value.”
An official familiar with the case told tvn24.pl that “the Koreans transferred around one hundred million to the Polish company for advisory services. We are now carefully verifying where – or rather to whom – the money from the Polish company went under subsequent agreements.”
According to Poland’s business registry, the company in question was established in 2019 by two South Korean nationals. It lists its correspondence address in a Warsaw office building and is formally registered for business consulting. Records show minimal annual turnover until late 2022 and early 2023, when revenues surged to nearly 100 million złoty – coinciding with the signing of the first South Korean arms contracts.
Prosecutors have not disclosed the names of either the South Korean defense company or the Polish entity under investigation.
The case comes amid Poland’s rapid military modernization program, which has heavily relied on fast-track arms imports from South Korea. While the contracts have been touted by the government as vital to strengthening national defense, the large cash transfers and opaque consulting arrangements are now drawing the attention of law enforcement and security agencies.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify that Hanwha Aerospace is not involved in the matter described and has no contractual relationship with the intermediary company mentioned. The accompanying image has been replaced to avoid any potential misinterpretation.