Daniel Obajtek, a PiS member of the European Parliament and former head of Orlen, says he does not intend to leave Poland, although, as he claims, some people are offering him shelter abroad. This is his response to the prosecutor general’s request to lift his immunity, detain him and place him in pre-trial custody over the 2023 fuel prices case.
The request was sent to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, by Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek. He announced this on Thursday, 15 October, on social media. As he said, the consent of the EP is needed so that the prosecutor can announce charges, carry out procedural actions with the suspect’s participation and secure the investigation given a „real risk of collusion”.
What the case is about
The investigation is supervised by the Łódź Branch Office of the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office. According to the prosecution, as cited by TVN24 and Polish Radio among others, Obajtek, as head of Orlen, allegedly instructed subordinates in October 2023, before the parliamentary elections, to lower wholesale and retail fuel prices. He allegedly did so „guided by considerations that had no economic character”, contrary to procedures and the company’s market situation. According to the prosecution’s statement, the prices concerned were at most PLN 5.99 per litre.
Interia, citing a National Prosecutor’s Office statement, writes about losses exceeding PLN 4.1 billion. Żurek said the alleged offences carry up to 25 years in prison. He added that if charges are brought, the prosecution will most likely secure the suspect’s assets. According to Polish Radio, five managers have already been charged. This is still a request, not a charge or a verdict. Obajtek has not been charged in this case, and the European Parliament will decide the fate of the request.
Obajtek’s response
Right after Żurek’s announcement, the MEP wrote on X that if they want to detain him for the fact that Poles filled up their tanks below PLN 6, „then go ahead”. He did, however, set a condition: Prime Minister Donald Tusk should also sit in the cell, as he recalled had promised fuel at PLN 5.19.
On Tuesday, 27 October, as reported by Wirtualna Polska and Wprost, Obajtek was asked whether he would, like some politicians under investigation, leave the country. He denied it. According to media reports, he said some people even want to „take him in”, but he has no such intention, and that he „takes it on the chin”. The reference to Zbigniew Ziobro and Marcin Romanowski comes from the Wprost report.
Fourth request and next steps
This is already the fourth request to lift Obajtek’s immunity. Previous requests were filed by the prosecution in December 2024, July 2025 and May 2026. According to Interia and Euronews, in April 2026 the European Parliament lifted his immunity in one of the earlier cases, together with that of three other Polish MEPs. The request in the fuel prices case must go through the standard procedure: analysis by the JURI legal affairs committee, followed by a vote in plenary. No date has been given.
What it means
Until the EP votes, Obajtek enjoys immunity and cannot be detained or arrested in this case. Experience from earlier requests suggests that proceedings in Brussels take weeks or months. For Orlen’s drivers and shareholders there are no direct consequences for now, but the case may return as part of the dispute over the role of state-owned companies ahead of the elections.
