Repeated announcement of charges against Romanowski
The National Public Prosecutor’s Office plans to repeat the charges against MP Marcin Romanowski on Monday and to interrogate him again as a suspect. The Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses the PiS member of eleven offenses, including manipulating competitions funded by the Justice Fund and diverting more than 112 million PLN for private gain.
Romanowski, a long‑standing member of the ruling party and a former deputy head of the Ministry of Justice who oversaw certain functions of the Justice Fund between 2019 and 2023, was summoned to appear on the scheduled Monday. This marks the first of two deadlines in the ongoing probe into irregularities in the fund’s expenditures. If he attends, faces the charges, and offers explanations, prosecutors may decide to request his arrest from the court — though a mandatory arrest is not guaranteed by law.
His lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, told reporters that there was no information yet on whether the MP would attend. If he fails to appear, prosecutors may seek an arrest warrant to carry out the planned investigations. It is noted that the MP was already detained in this case on July 15, which complicates any attempt at re-arrest for the same facts based on double jeopardy principles.
The continuation of the probe was enabled by the waiver of immunity granted by the Assembly of the Council of Europe. Previously, because of the immunity, the Warsaw Mokotów District Court did not authorize a three‑month detention on July 16, and after the prosecution challenged that decision, a new development emerged when the international body consented to bear criminal liability and allow detention and arrest in the subsequent steps.
Repeated announcement of charges against Romanowski
From the perspective of the Public Prosecution Service, the indictment against Romanowski and his interrogation as a suspect should be repeated. The agency emphasizes that the actions first taken on July 15 were ineffective due to the immunity that previously shielded him from prosecution and the later transition of authority that allowed new procedural moves.
The defense team, which has filed motions to end criminal proceedings, argues that any procedural action against the politician is unacceptable while immunity questions linger. They point to the July 15 arrest and assert that charges should not have been filed without consent, and note that detaining a sitting member again would be improper under the provisions of the criminal procedure code.
Romanowski has also submitted a request to exclude certain prosecutors from the proceedings, naming individuals who, according to the defense, should recuse themselves from handling the case. The motions also challenge the involvement of several high‑ranking prosecutors and officials in the process.
Pursuant to the Code of Criminal Procedure, a public prosecutor supervising the proceedings, or their immediate superior, may decide on the exclusion of participants from the preparatory actions. This rule ensures that acts conducted before the exclusion does not automatically invalidate the entire process.
During the July events, Romanowski was arrested and subsequently charged with eleven counts, including participation in an organized criminal group and manipulation of grants from the Justice Fund. Prosecutors say the core evidence includes statements from co‑suspects, witness testimony, as well as documents and electronic data related to subsidies and the fund’s procedures.
Officials say the total value involved in the alleged offenses exceeds 112.126 million PLN. The suspect has consistently denied the charges, describing the prosecution actions as political repression rather than legal enforcement, and maintaining that the actions were politically motivated.
Romanowski was released from detention the following day, with the Warsaw District Court ruling that he was shielded by immunity. Prosecutors dispute that assessment, underscoring that several experts in international law question the scope of immunity in this context and advocate that the acts under investigation fall outside immunity’s protection.
The Justice Fund inquiry, ongoing since February, spans multiple threads, including concerns over powers exceeded and duties overlooked by the Justice Minister and ministry officials charged with managing, distributing, and accounting for the fund. The fund’s stated purpose remains assisting crime victims, including post‑penitentiary support, but prosecutors allege discretionary and arbitrary distributions that harmed the public interest and restricted resources for authorized entities.
To date, more than a dozen individuals have faced charges in connection with the case, with several already in custody. The Sejm has waived immunity for Romanowski as well as Michał Wosi, another Sovereign Poland member in the same investigation, though further waivers cannot be ruled out as inquiries continue across the fund’s programs.