PUNU could now help Finance Ministry oust PZU chief

According to unofficial sources, Treasury Minister Aldona Kamela-Sowinska is counting on help from the National Insurance Supervisory Board (PUNU) to oust the chairman of life insurance giant PZU Zycie, Grzegorz Wieczerzak. PUNU head Danuta Walcerz has the right to call an extraordinary shareholders ' meeting (NWZA) and demand changes in the company's leadership. Disposing Wieczerzak was among the promises Kamela-Sowinska made after her appointment as Minister a month ago. According to her, Wieczerzak poses a threat to the "nation's economy structure." Ousting Wieczerzak is also a condition the ministry must fulfill in order to reach agreement with the Eureko and BIG Bank Gdanski (BIG BG) consortium, which has been seeking the move for over a year. So far Wieczerzak has refused to resign, and is now postponing a NWZA that would put his power at issue. PUNU is perhaps the only body capable of defeating Wieczerzak, since it has the right to call for a speed-up in the choice of the new supervisory board. (Puls Biznesu, p.5) J.K.