Grodzki Immunity Case: Immunity Waiver Withdrawn by Szczecin Prosecutors

The Szczecin Regional Prosecutor’s Office has withdrawn its request to lift the immunity of Senator Tomasz Grodzki, a figure from the Civic Coalition and former Senate President. The move concerns an ongoing investigation tied to the Transplantation Aid Foundation. The decision came from the new leadership of the Szczecin Prosecutor’s Office.

The motion to remove Grodzki’s immunity was withdrawn

In a statement, the Szczecin Regional Prosecutor’s Office explained that after reviewing the application, there were notable inconsistencies between the statements included in the filing and the statements in the indictment in the case involving Krzysztof K. and others. Investigators also indicated that witness testimonies do not support pursuing charges against the senator.

The regional office added that the request contained formal errors that disqualified it as a procedural document. This contributed to the decision to withdraw the motion.

The Grodzki case

In October 2023, the National Public Prosecutor’s Office announced it had received a request from the Szczecin Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office to waive Grodzki’s immunity. The Szczecin prosecutor’s office sought to indict the then Senate President on charges related to fraud against patients, bribery, and money laundering.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, the charges referred to acts between 2008 and 2019, alleging extortion of money from patients for operations performed within the public healthcare system. Prosecutors claimed that Grodzki allegedly urged others to commit crimes, including doctors who had already faced charges, directing them to carry out these offenses.

This was not the first attempt by the prosecutor’s office to waive Grodzki’s immunity. In March 2021, Szczecin’s prosecutor’s office submitted a request to the Senate. The office later stated that Grodzki would be charged with four counts of receiving financial benefits during his time as director of a Szczecin specialized hospital and as head of the local Department of Thoracic Surgery.

However, the Senate did not proceed with consideration because the motion was not corrected as required. The prosecutor’s office subsequently renewed the request. In May 2022, the Senate did not authorize Grodzki to be held criminally liable.

Grodzki has repeatedly asserted that the accusations of corruption are unfounded.

Grodzki has maintained that he never allowed any operation to proceed in exchange for bribe payments.

– stated Grodzki in December 2019, when initial reports on the matter appeared on Radio Szczecin.

Further reading considerations include coverage on how the Grodzki case stirred reactions among political figures and discussions about immunity in public office, along with debates about whether immunity should be exercised or waived in high level investigations.

— SP politicians expressed frustration with the Grodzki case. The stance of some colleagues was questioned regarding immunity claims and accountability.

— There is ongoing debate about immunity for Grodzki, Gawłowski, and Giertych, and about penalties for private citizens.

— The possibility of Grodzki’s immunities being reconsidered and the prospects of pursuing a different legal path continue to be discussed.

wkt/PAP/RMF FM

Source: wPolityce