Five individuals have been charged in connection with the Justice Fund investigation, with concerns raised about more than PLN 66 million payments to an entity that did not meet formal or substantive requirements. This was announced by the spokesperson for the National Prosecution Service, Prosecutor Przemysław Nowak, during a Wednesday press briefing.
During the event, Nowak outlined the Public Prosecution Service’s ongoing work on the Justice Fund matter and its investigative progress.
Officials stressed that, at this stage, the case does not appear to be politically motivated. It was noted that any prosecutor equipped with the presented evidence would likely have filed charges and conducted searches. While supporters of the investigation argue that political actors have been involved given the fund’s prominence, the spokesperson emphasized that the matter is being handled as a legal issue and has its own political life. Politicians have spoken out on the matter, including those who bear direct or indirect responsibility for the Fund.
The spokesperson added that the case remains in an early phase. The investigation team has gathered extensive evidence and today’s work supplements this material with additional documents and data carriers. The collected material has enabled charges to be filed against five individuals, including four officials from the Justice Fund department of the Ministry of Justice and one representative of a foundation involved in the matter.
In general terms, three of the four officials charged include the director of the Justice Fund Department, the former director, and two specialists who sit on the Competition Commission. They are alleged to have caused payments totaling over PLN 66 million to an entity that did not meet the necessary formal or substantive requirements to receive these funds.
Prosecutors announced that applications for temporary arrest would be submitted, with the justification noted as preventing fraud.
Waiver of immunities
The PK spokesperson also discussed the analysis related to lifting immunities for politicians involved in the matter.
All the material collected, together with additional material gathered today and yesterday, will be examined for potential immunities for elected officials.
When asked about naming the individuals involved, the spokesperson said the names could not be disclosed at that time, noting that those responsible for the Fund’s operation would be identified in the analysis.
Reference was made to a prior search at Zbigniew Ziobro’s residence, where the homeowner was not present. The standard practice is to request voluntary surrender of items; if the person is not present, a lawful entry may occur. It was stated that Ziobro was abroad at the time, making direct contact to obtain appearance or items impractical.
Asked about which MPs might face immunity lifting, the spokesperson indicated that an analysis would be shown, but declined to name individuals, reiterating that MPs are the subject of the inquiry.
Further context and comments were provided by media coverage at the time, with one outlet noting statements from Ziobro’s legal representative regarding nighttime searches and the involvement of prosecutors in the operations.
Source: wPolityce