I am nobody's friend
Human- corruption
Jan Ośko
I am not anybody’s friend
One day she shut down the door of her office in London City, packed few things and came straight to Warsaw. Not because she had to. She could make a career in England. Instead She has chosen Poland.
Slim blonde in glasses, 41 years old Marzena Richter, is talking with slight British accent. In England she acquired/ gained both education and experience which are essential in financial world/ world of finances. She was occupied in leading affairs of the biggest corporations and banks. She came to Poland because this country was for her uncommon/ unusual place, where honour and honesty were one of the most important values. She was coming back to the country of her ancestors. From stabilized capital of world’s finances Marzena Richter came to a place where capitalism was built without rules and mercy.
Between England and Poland
Marzena’s father, a solider of Polish forces in the West, never came back to Poland after war/ did not return, after the war to the country. He settled in Great Britain. He set up a family in Derbyshire in central England. There Marzena and her younger brother had their childhood. In the ’60 and ’70 Derbyshire was idyllic village. Splendid landscape surrounded her family home and garden size 30 acres. Residents/ Citizens of Derbyshire were mainly small businessmen. Her father, owner of transport company, lived in harmony with gardeners, farmers and owners of construction companies.
In Catholic school in Protestant England Marzena was the only Pole. When the Nativity play was prepared and came to school dressed like a cracowian girl enthusiastic teacher guided her through all classes. However not garish dresses and corals envied her English and Irish friends but toys which were brought from... Poland among others small washing machine and mini mixer.
I always thought that polish toys were better- she laughs. Trips to Poland on vacation or were big adventures. I was delighted that her aunt lives on eight floor. At the beginning I was afraid to go out to the balcony. I couldn’t understand how people can live above one other and to this so high- recalls.
Next visits uncovered new picture of her native country. She observed a strange phenomenon- a socialist economy. When she once drove a car with her aunt who bought paint and glaze to renovate bathroom at the time of appearance of the road police she heard from her aunt: “put the paint under the seat”. Fifteen years old girl could not understand why she has to act in such unusual way. But the real shock she experienced in the 80s, when she wanted to buy a ptasie mleczko/marshmallows. She learned then that money is not everything, you need to be a happy owner of cards.
British islands were school of life for her. The world in which she grown was based on hierarchy, faith, justice, rational thinking and hard work. She finish with honours all schools primary, secondary and high school in very good Catholic places. The true affliction was with her name, nobody could pronounce it correctly, turn it on Madżena or Mazena. Her parents gave her this name by purpose to stress their Polish character. She graduated from two faculties: Mathematic and Physic at the University of London. She could choose from dozens of job offers. Before she acquired authorization to became a auditor she worked in tax havens in Channel Islands and Switzerland. In London her occupation belongs to category of “profession”, the most prestigious. Registered Auditor is an independent profession, just like a lawyer. And the true elite of the City.
Return to roots
In 1993 she started/ founded firm/ company in Poland. She brought with her experience to which the English were gaining for hundreds of years. Marzena Richter is a co-owner of Staniszewski & Richter company. She employs a dozen or so people and supports/ serves 2030 company annually. She controls finances of Polish and foreign companies, listed companies, political parties, business, foundations and cooperatives. This type of control is defined as the audit.
The audit was invented in order to objectively and accurately get know financial condition of firms companies. That is why audit must be carry out/ conduct by person who is not related with company. For many companies auditor assessment is a legal obligation, guarantee of reliability.
Sometimes I dream about not being lied anymore – Marzena Richter says quietly. Every day she struggles with fraud, malversations/ embezzlements, theft, which are called euphemistically “ white collar crimes”. I have never and nowhere met such a big number of educated, intelligent, young people under thirty who are at the same time casual thieves stealing from companies which employ them. – she says bitterly. The worst is to supervise Polish companies. There are boards and supervisory boards which do anything to stretch their financial results. They press to sign up to any fiction. If you refuse threaten, frighten, intimidate and do not want to pay salary. But I am not a management board’s friend.
Within a few years childish phase of capitalism arose ( for unfair management boards) audit companies closely related to those that require monitoring and creating together corruptions relations. In such cases to fictional and unreliable financial results is added false assessment of the auditor. Unfortunately fairly conducted audit are exceptional but corruption is considered as norm in my line.
Memory Portrait
Marzena Richter serves mainly American and English companies. She could create/ draw portrait of average criminalist/ offender. This is usually young, sex in this case is not a matter, well-educated/ after graduation, working in the midst of boss and having big impact/ influence on him. This is usually very good worker who works in same sections of his/ her duties in an exemplary way. Perfectly can take advantage of somebody’s weakness and dependences, skilfully controls relations between people and build own professional position. Those workers can embezzle hundreds of thousands zlotys. For example Monika D. Was able to embezzle 150 000 zlotys within 5 years. She was a master of payment on account.
30 years old Monika D. worked in a small company and dealt with a payroll preparation. She fooled money for many different ways. She had two supervisors, went to each individual request for payment on account some sum of money. For example, in November she took 1000 zlotys which should be deducted from her payment in December . She was able to take advance money three times in one month. There was no print of them/ no trace after them on payroll, payment collected entirety. Additionally she was taking advance money for purchase of different items occasionally sold in the company. She very willing/ eager to buy Christmas Tree, stamps or paper clips when they were needed. She has never accounted for the money and excess weight/ over in the cash landed in her pocket. When one of the bosses asked her about accounts she answered that other supervisor already took care about it and knows everything. She was acting like child who says to mom, that dad allowed her- explains Marzena.
What is interesting, case of Monika D. has never had finish in prosecutor’s office. Usually companies do not want to be at law with anybody. The well-known reasons of this are: long-lasting legal proceedings and cost related with it. In most cases the agreement to repay the appropriated amount are written, the notarial act is concluded and offender pays 1500 zlotys per month. Usually money is returned because otherwise behind this is threat of “wolf ticket” which means great difficulties in finding a new job. Fraudsters leave, often with agreement of the parties, without any blemish on the certificate of work. This enables them to get promotion in new company, must the must repaid what is appropriated. The same situation was with Monika D.
Unfortunately corruptions climbs the ladder of the positions which are taken by frauds in companies. Not average workers are stealing the most but bosses/ heads and members of management boards. The higher position, greater spoils. Members of the management boards keep double cash box, issue false invoices, overstate estimates, enter into contracts to the detriment their own companies, forge signatures.
Once to Marzena Richter called Robert O. By the way he was saying you could recognize that he is terrified. He has just become chairman of big company in Łomianki near to Warsaw, which distributes spare parts for cars. Shares of ownership in the company were split between investment fund, Polish and foreign entitles. Robert O. Had reasonable belief that someone wants to mix him up in an affair/ scandal. Just before taking up his position the accountant ran off with laptop, which contained important financial calculations. It turned out that previous management board made jump on cash. Management board embezzled money by installing newer and newer computer software. Has an agreement with Scandinavian company which installed for horrendous amount of money newer systems. Native firm could made it for ten times cheaper. Software did not work as it should so company had to call on experts who recommend another replacement of system. For every “expert advice” and replacement they have to pay dearly. Computer Operator shared money with board. Robert O. refused signing annual financial statement. Previous management board killed company and around 100 workers lost jobs and owners did not regain money.
Nowhere in the world I have never met with situations in which board is stealing from owner. Management board are put on long-term cooperation. We just want to take as much as we can in few months- Marzena says.
There are also unusual case. Recently/ not long ago to her firm applied workers from handicapped society. Their company had amazing financial results, turnover grew with each passing year and it seemed everything was going good. However surprised workers discovered that there was almost no money for payments in cash. It turned out that cashier used to, by old regime, overstate turnover still exaggerate them. She acted like she was realizing/ implementing another five-years deed and wanted to celebrate convention of not- existing party. Accounting data were twice overstated in comparison with the real one. Chairman of handicapped society was so pleased with financial results that he paid himself lavish bonuses. After solving case/ accounting matters accountant and chairman from epoch of PRL were dismissed.
Anywhere, where money
Crimes of “white collars” obviously are not Polish specificity, they take place/ occur wherever money is. But in Poland corruption sometimes is justified, explain that is the essential cost of building capitalism.
-You can not build anything good on lies and deceptions. We must learn to be honest/ honesty and and learn it for a very long time- Marzena Richter says firmly- The more educated person, the higher competences/ qualifications he has, the better position he holds/ occupies, the more he must required from himself and the greater consequences he must take of his action- she added also firmly.
Marzena Richter after several years in Poland is still amazed by some things. She can not understand why so many well-educated people want to achieve material success in illegal way. After all sooner or later the truth always comes out! Our native defect is also Polish scheming/ spoofing. She dreams about times, when high moral values will be considered as standard. She does not regret that she settled down in Poland and does not think about returning to England. Only sometimes confesses: -it seems to me that I was sent here as a punishment...
