Foul play suspected as 1.5 million tonnes of coal develops legs and disappears

As part of the restructuring scheme for the domestic coal mining industry, five companies were last year supposed to transfer their coal supplies to the newly formed Kompania Węglowa. However, it has transpired that 1.5 million tonnes of the coal in question has gone missing, with the companies involved claiming that they had to use the coal as a means of payment in kind as they were strapped for cash. According to Kompania Węglowa representatives, the coal was sold on to the market by intermediaries at a very low price. Due to this, the state-controlled concern has currently 4 million tonnes of unsold coal, worth around zł.500 million, and urgently needs to convert it into cash. The case of the disappearing coal is currently being investigated not only by the District Prosecutor in Katowice, but also the Internal Security Agency and the Central Bureau of Investigation. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 1) A.K.