The architect and investors should have a trial, according to a decision of the District Court in Poznan. The issue is the famous "castle" in Stobnica. In June, the Oborniki court discontinued proceedings against the designer and investors—without starting a trial. However, a Poznan judge ordered the investors and the architect to sit on the defendant's bench in November.
A modern fantasy of a medieval castle has been coming to fruition for more than seven years in Stobnica, Wielkopolska. The case of the huge building being erected on the edge of the Notec Forest is so well-known that it requires only a brief reminder. "The castle" is being built by doctor and entrepreneur Pawel N. In 2018, the controversial investment was publicized by the media. The case was investigated by the CBA, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection and the prosecutor 's office, which in mid-2020 brought charges against seven people: two officials, two construction supervision inspectors, two representatives of the investor and the chief architect.
Six months later, all seven were indicted. The investor Pavel N. and his son Dmitry N. were accused primarily of using unreliable data understating the area of the investment, which helped facilitate further official procedures (no need for an environmental decision). Waldemar S., on the other hand, signed a document purporting to contain incorrect surface area data.
however, the bench
In June of this year, an unexpected decision was made in the case of the three, against whom the Oborniki court discontinued the proceedings, leaving only three officials on the bench (the seventh accused person has since died). The decision caused surprise, as there are rarely cases of discontinuing proceedings before the trial has even begun. This occurs only in cases that do not raise any doubts.
The prosecutor's office therefore appealed the decision, and now, after several months, the District Court in Poznan has agreed. At a session held on November 17, it decided that the case nevertheless required a trial, as it was not as clear-cut as the Oborniki court had previously assessed. The latter will therefore have to hold a trial, in which the three men against whom proceedings were discontinued in June will also be charged and tried.
surface and function
What are the arguments behind this decision? According to Judge Alina Siatecka of the Poznań District Court, the issues to be resolved are the calculation of the actual area of the investment and its purpose. This is because the investor declared that the area was less than 2 hectares. The prosecutor's office claims that the investment exceeded this area, and this entails the need for an environmental decision. Judge Siatecka also believes that the Oborniki court must verify what the real function of the structure will be. Despite the assurances of the investor, who declared that he was putting up a residential building for his own use, the prosecutor's office believes that the "castle" (now almost finished from the outside) will become a hotel in the future.
