Poland's Olympic Chief Piesiewicz Arrested – Bribery in Crypto Scandal
Radosław Piesiewicz, president of the Polish Olympic Committee, has been arrested in Warsaw. He is accused of receiving bribes in connection with the Zondacrypto scandal.
Poland's Olympic President Arrested in Warsaw over Crypto Affair
Radosław Piesiewicz (45), president of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOI), has been arrested in Warsaw, according to BILD. Investigators apprehended him at his home in connection with the financial scandal surrounding the cryptocurrency exchange "Zondacrypto", in which, according to prosecutors' estimates, at least 2.4 billion Polish zloty (approximately 650 million US dollars) in customer funds are believed to have been diverted to private accounts of managers.
The scandal has shaken Poland for more than a year. Hundreds of thousands of investors have lost access to their funds, as the platform has been largely offline since April 2026 and withdrawals have been halted. Company founder Sylwester Suszek (37) has been missing since March.
Specifically, prosecutors accuse Piesiewicz of accepting gifts from Przemysław Kral (46) – Suszek's successor at "Zondacrypto" who subsequently went into hiding. Kral is alleged to have expected that Piesiewicz would help him in the scandal and put in a good word for the cryptocurrency exchange. Among the gifts is a watch worth 40,000 euros as well as further benefits.
Also relevant to the case is the fact that "Zondacrypto" was an official sponsor of the PKOI between October 2025 and May 2026 – that is, during a period when the platform was already under pressure.
During his arrest, Piesiewicz was cooperative and was brought in for questioning at the prosecutor's office. Results are expected to be announced shortly.
Numerous sports associations and members of the PKOI have since called for his resignation – not only because of the bribery allegations, but also because of disputes over sponsorship funds, outstanding athlete bonuses and ongoing criticism of his conduct in office. Piesiewicz has been president of the committee since April 2023.
Source: BILD