Colloseum owner faces arrest over zl.345 million fraud

Owner of the Colloseum finance and investment consortium, Jozef J., has for the second time been detained on suspicion of fraud. Officers from the State Security Office (UOP) and Central Investigation Office (CBS) who interviewed Jozef J. yesterday accused him of defrauding Bedzinskie Zaklady Elektroenergetyczne (BZE) power grid out of zl.345 million. A former BZE accountant, along with Colloseum deputy president Piotr W. and an executive from Huta Pokoj, in which Colloseum is a majority shareholder, were also detained yesterday at the prosecutor's request. The CBS and UOP have been investigating the activities of Colloseum for more than two years, and in October last year 13 people linked to the company, among them Jozef J., were accused of defrauding more than zl.1.2 million. Jozef J. was later released on bail. Today the public prosecutor will decide whether to request the suspects' arrest. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) P.J.