A lawmaker from Poland’s opposition right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has been sent to pre-trial detention for two months by a Warsaw court due to concerns over evidence tampering.
Prosecutors are looking into alleged irregularities in the use of Poland’s justice fund, a special reserve designed to help victims of crimes, under the PiS-led government that ruled the country between 2015 and 2023.
MP Dariusz Matecki is suspected of rigging grant competitions to favor his associates, engaging in money laundering activities and entering into fictitious employment contracts with the state-run organization that manages the country’s forests.
He was arrested on Friday and taken into custody at the Warsaw-Służewiec detention center following the court’s decision, prosecutor Piotr Woźniak from the National Prosecutor’s Office said.
According to Woźniak, the court ruled that the evidence collected in the case strongly supports the charges against Matecki and justified concerns that he could interfere with the investigation.
Prosecutors had requested a three-month detention, but the court granted a shorter, two-month period. Woźniak stated that the investigation is at an advanced stage and could be concluded within that time.
Matecki’s lawyer, Kacper Stukan, announced plans to appeal the ruling, which was issued by the Warsaw-Mokotów district court. He argued that there is no justification for the detention, as there is no risk of evidence tampering or flight.
“At this stage, such a measure is absolutely unnecessary,” Stukan said, adding that Matecki is the only person arrested in the case.
Stukan added that the prosecution itself acknowledged that the investigation is well advanced, making temporary detention unnecessary. He confirmed that the appeal will be filed by Wednesday or Thursday, within the legally permitted timeframe.
Poland’s current ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal Civic Coalition (KO) party, has opened several investigations into alleged wrongdoing by the previous government.
On Thursday, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński was stripped of his parliamentary immunity, along with former defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak. The party has been accused of using Israeli-made surveillance technology to spy on political opponents.
MP Dariusz Matecki is suspected of rigging grant competitions to favor his associates, engaging in money laundering activities and entering into fictitious employment contracts with the state-run organization that manages the country’s forests.
He was arrested on Friday and taken into custody at the Warsaw-Służewiec detention center following the court’s decision, prosecutor Piotr Woźniak from the National Prosecutor’s Office said.
According to Woźniak, the court ruled that the evidence collected in the case strongly supports the charges against Matecki and justified concerns that he could interfere with the investigation.
Prosecutors had requested a three-month detention, but the court granted a shorter, two-month period. Woźniak stated that the investigation is at an advanced stage and could be concluded within that time.
Matecki’s lawyer, Kacper Stukan, announced plans to appeal the ruling, which was issued by the Warsaw-Mokotów district court. He argued that there is no justification for the detention, as there is no risk of evidence tampering or flight.
“At this stage, such a measure is absolutely unnecessary,” Stukan said, adding that Matecki is the only person arrested in the case.
Stukan added that the prosecution itself acknowledged that the investigation is well advanced, making temporary detention unnecessary. He confirmed that the appeal will be filed by Wednesday or Thursday, within the legally permitted timeframe.
Poland’s current ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal Civic Coalition (KO) party, has opened several investigations into alleged wrongdoing by the previous government.
On Thursday, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński was stripped of his parliamentary immunity, along with former defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak. The party has been accused of using Israeli-made surveillance technology to spy on political opponents.
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