Former KRRiT chief detained by CBA over "Fair Courts" campaign
Maciej Ś., former president of the National Broadcasting Council and member of the board of the Polish National Foundation, has been detained by the CBA. The charges relate to misuse of PFN funds for a billboard campaign attacking the judicial community.
Former KRRiT chief detained by CBA over "Fair Courts" campaign
Agents of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau have detained Maciej Ś. — the former chairman of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) and board member of the Polish National Foundation (PFN) — on the orders of the Rzeszów prosecutor's office. The detention relates to an investigation into financial abuse in the implementation of the controversial "Fair Courts" campaign.
Cezary J., also a former PFN board member, was detained alongside him. Both detentions took place on 14 July 2026.
The Polish National Foundation was established in 2016 under the PiS government. Seventeen state-owned companies transferred funds to promote the country abroad. However, in 2017, the foundation launched a domestic billboard campaign criticising Polish judges.
The campaign depicted magistrates as a "special caste" and highlighted individual cases of alleged misconduct. One of the billboards concerned a judge caught stealing kielbasa — despite the incident occurring in 2006 and the judge no longer being alive in 2017.
In 2018, a Warsaw court ruled that the "Fair Courts" campaign was at odds with the PFN's statutory objectives. The verdict stated that the advertisements not only failed to improve Poland's image abroad, but actually damaged it, creating a negative picture of the justice system based on individual cases.
The foundation's losses related to this campaign amount to at least 8.4 million złoty. According to the coordinator minister of special services Tomasz Siemoniak, the moral damage is "incalculable".
"The 'Fair Courts' campaign consisted mainly of attacks on the judicial community. It was a response to a political order from the PiS government and discredited independent courts," Siemoniak emphasised.
In February 2025, the new PFN board notified prosecutors of the possible commission of a crime by their predecessors. Estimated losses exceed 30 million złoty.
This is not the foundation's first controversy. In the past, the organisation purchased a yacht for nearly one million euro, which was intended to sail around the world to mark the centenary of Poland's independence. The vessel was damaged and lay in port for many weeks, generating additional costs.
In 2021, the Supreme Audit Office accused the PFN of refusing to make documents necessary for inspection available.
Maciej Ś. previously faced the State Tribunal over alleged abuse of authority in his position as KRRiT president. The charges included unjustified withholding of funds from public media, pressure on private stations critical of PiS, and failure to fulfil mandatory actions.
Source: Notes from Poland
Source: Notes From Poland