WARSAW, July 5 (RAPSI, Yevgeny Bezeka) - The Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office is making an inquiry into government spending on a concert by American singer Madonna at the National Stadium in Warsaw last year, Press Secretary of the office Darius Slepokura told journalists today.

Madonna performed a concert in Warsaw on August 1, 2012, at the state-owned National Stadium built for the Euro 2012 Football Championships. Poland's Sports Ministry agreed to pay $1.8 mln to stage the concert. The money was allocated from funds reserved to support the championships and promote children's and youth volleyball. The concert was a failure and the budget lost $1.4 mln, according to a report by the Supreme Chamber of Control.

Polish Minister of Sports Joanna Mucha, who has a degree in Economics, explained her decision to sponsor the concert by the need to support the commercial activity of the loss-making stadium. She provided an explanation to the Chamber of Control, which claims that the event's business plan had promised significant revenues. However, the authors of the business plan overrated Madonna's popularity. Box office sales offset only a fraction of the costs.