Arrest for Ziobro upheld. Investigators seek to bring him from USA
Warsaw regional court has not changed its decision to hold the former justice minister in custody. The prosecution plans extradition from the United States.
Arrest for Ziobro upheld. Investigators seek to bring him from USA
Warsaw's appellate court upheld the validity of the temporary detention of the former head of the justice ministry. The ruling came after a full day of proceedings, during which lawyers for Zbigniew Ziobro requested, among other things, the exclusion of the judicial panel and suspension of proceedings.
The three-person panel – comprised of Adam Chocholak, Danuta Grunwald and Anna Szymacha-Zwolińska – rejected these proposals. Anna Ptaszek, spokesperson for the criminal department, informed the press in the evening that although the accused was found to be insufficiently likely to be the perpetrator in several counts, these concerned secondary matters. In the key charges, related to serious damage to public finances, the court found sufficient grounds.
According to the justification, all conditions for detention were satisfied: the risk of obstructing proceedings, a severe sentence and a real possibility of evading justice. Ptaszek noted that the ruling does not constitute a moral or legal assessment of the accused's guilt. Written reasons are to be ready within a week.
Piotr Woźniak, overseeing the investigation into irregularities in the Justice Fund, announced immediate preparation of documents for the extradition of the suspect by American authorities. He acknowledged that he was considering whether to proceed with a verbal justification or wait for a written version. He had previously pointed out that whilst the finality of arrest is not a formal condition, in practice Washington rarely accedes to requests lacking such a document.
Ziobro's attorney, barrister Bartosz Lewandowski, responded to the ruling with disapproval. In his view, the indictment is politically motivated. He added that the court found insufficient evidence on eight occasions.
The former minister is accused of heading an organised criminal group and abusing office for corrupt purposes. The indictment comprises 26 counts, including issuing subordinates directives to breach regulations in order to favour selected companies in the distribution of subsidies, interference in tenders, and approving payments to unentitled beneficiaries.
The decision to detain him was made earlier by the district court in Mokotów on 5 February. At that time, Ziobro was already in Hungary, where Viktor Orbán's authorities granted him international protection. On 10 May, after Fidesz's electoral defeat, the politician announced he was staying overseas. He claims that he did not leave the country in violation of the law and has documentation issued along with asylum in Hungary.
Parallel proceedings are ongoing. Following the February ruling, a red notice was issued and a European Arrest Warrant was requested. Changes have also occurred in the judicial panel; at the beginning of June, a new judge, Tomasz Grochowicz, was drawn by lot. In March, the appellate court refused to suspend the EAW procedure pending final resolution of the arrest matter.
Source: Polish Press Agency
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)