After first being reported by Polish radio station Radio Zet, it is now being reported in the press that the Polish Special Services has commenced an investigation into whether the Swiss oil trading subsidiary of a state-controlled oil company has breached the EU’s Russian sanctions in relation to oil.
The Polish parent company is Orlen, which is 49% owned by the Polish state, and the Swiss subsidiary is Orlen Trading Switzerland.
It is alleged that the Swiss subsidiary was incorporated in Switzerland in late 2022 ahead of the relevant changes to EU sanctions which came into effect in early 2023 as a means of continuing to purchase and trade in oil of Russian origin.
The companies are reported as having denied the allegations.