Examination of Marywilska 44 remains. 33 safes and 48 money boxes salvaged

The market hall at Marywilska 44 was destroyed by fire on May 12. It ws home to approx. 1,400 service points, rented by over 700 people. The examination of the ruins began on July 30, 2024, immediately after the approval of the construction supervision decision allowing for the demolition of the burned hall.

The spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, Przemysław Nowak, emphasized that the scope of the activities was unprecedented: never before in Poland had such an examination been carried out on this scale. He added that it was a significant organizational, logistical, and procedural challenge.

From July 30 to November 28, 2024, the examinations of the site involved a total of 55 prosecutors from the Department for the Fight Against Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office and local branches from Warsaw, Katowice, Białystok, Lublin, Rzeszów, Łódź, Gdańsk, and Szczecin, as well as the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, 100 police officers from the Warsaw Police Headquarters and other units from the Warsaw garrison took part.

At the site, 6 inspection teams worked simultaneously - each consisting of prosecutors, police officers, technicians, experts from the Warsaw Fire Academy, and machine operators. The process also involved prosecutors from the Mazovian Department of Organized Crime leading the investigation and investigative teams from the Warsaw Police’s Criminal Investigation Department.

A technical office facility was constructed next to the ruins. The Cyberspace Defense Forces Component Command provided a specialized command-and-control vehicle with equipment and logistical containers, while the Warsaw City Surveillance System Maintenance Facility deployed city surveillance cameras.

Telecommunication infrastructure and radio communication systems were also set up. Many external entities were involved, providing assistance and support.

The examination was completed in 121 days. "Alongside the inspections, other procedural actions were also carried out, during which, among other things, all documentation necessary to clarify the causes and extent of the fire was secured, surveillance footage was collected, and over 60 witnesses and 440 victims were questioned," said the spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office.

He reported that a total of 33 safes and 48 money boxes were secured in the remains, as well as 8 ATMs containing nearly 1.2 million zlotys.

So far, nearly 2 million zlotys in unsinged money has been returned to the victims, along with a number of charred banknotes, nearly 1 kg of gold bars, over 3 kg of jewelry, and more than 33 kg of burned coins. "The examination of valuable items secured in the ruins is still ongoing, in the presence of the victims," the spokesperson added.

Nowak also stated that the primary goal of the ongoing investigation is to determine the causes and potential perpetrators of the fire. This was also the main objective of the conducted inspections. During the investigation, traces and items that could have been related to the cause of the fire were secured. All evidence has undergone separate inspections and has been handed over to the experts appointed in the investigation. "The opinion is to be issued within a few months," said the spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation into the fire was initiated on May 13, and since May 22, it has been conducted by prosecutors from the Mazovian Department of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. "The investigation is being conducted in relation to the occurrence of an event endangering property on a large scale in the form of a fire," Przemysła Nowak said.