2024-08-26 15:42, akt.2024-08-26 18:02
publication
2024-08-26 15:42
update
2024-08-26 18:02
Share
On Monday, the prosecutor issued a decision to issue an arrest warrant for Michał Kuczmierowski, former president of the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves, the National Prosecutor’s Office reported on platform X.
photo: Mateusz Włodarczyk / / FORUM
“Officers of the Warsaw Police Headquarters, based on an arrest warrant issued by the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office based in Katowice, are looking for Michał Kuczmierowski,” the police wrote.
They noted that the man was hiding from law enforcement.
“If you recognize the person in the photo, contact the officers from the Warsaw Police Headquarters, tel. 47 7237657, 47 7237893, emergency number 112 or the nearest Police unit,” they stressed.
They also posted a photo of the wanted man and information about his age – 46 years old and place of residence – Warsaw.
In addition to the former president of RARS, businessman Paweł Sz. is also a suspect in the case.
“We have suspicions as to where both gentlemen may be. However, we do not share these suspicions,” said Piotr Nowak, spokesman for the National Prosecutor’s Office, on Monday.
He said the prosecutor had not yet decided whether he would ask the court to issue a European Arrest Warrant.
He was also asked about the possible issuance of safe conduct letters for Kuczmierowski and Paweł Sz. “Applications are submitted to the court. We are a party. We can express our position regarding the application,” he replied. He said that he had knowledge, mainly from the court, that such an application had been submitted for Paweł Sz. “However, the court is the host in this case,” the PK spokesman emphasized.
A safe conduct is – according to the legal definition – a special document promising the accused to remain free until the final conclusion of the criminal proceedings, and the accused undertakes to answer in the trial from freedom.
Prosecutor Nowak informed on Monday that the search will be carried out by the Warsaw Police Headquarters. “This arrest warrant will be published on the KSP website today,” he added.
He also confirmed that Kuczmierowski’s defense attorney had contacted the prosecutor’s office.
On Thursday, August 22, the court, at the request of the prosecutor, agreed to apply temporary arrest against the former president of RARS, which allowed for the initiation of his search by means of an arrest warrant. Kuczmierowski’s defense attorney announced an appeal.
The case is related to an investigation into irregularities in RARS and allegations, among others, of participation in an organized criminal group.
The whereabouts of Michał Kuczmierowski, as well as another suspect in this case, Paweł Sz., are unknown. The charges against both suspects carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The investigation into irregularities in RARS was initiated on December 1, 2023 by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. In April 2024, the case was taken over by the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice.
The investigation concerns, among other things, exceeding their powers and failing to fulfil their duties by RARS employees when organising and processing the purchase of goods, and thus acting to the detriment of the public interest, from 23 February 2021 to 27 November 2023 in Warsaw in order to gain financial benefits.
The basis for initiating the investigation were classified materials collected by the Central Anticorruption Bureau and two reports of suspicion of a crime submitted by the General Inspector of Financial Information. At a later stage of the investigation, the GIIF submitted two more reports of suspicion of “money laundering”.
In July, the prosecutor’s office charged the director of the RARS purchasing office, Justyna G., and the manager of the office, Joanna P., with exceeding their powers in connection with the performance of public functions, which was supposed to consist in preferential treatment of some RARS contractors in connection with the implementation of an EU grant in the amount of EUR 114 million for the supply of power generators for Ukraine. (PAP)
mas/ sdd/ wus/
