Warsaw court upholds European arrest warrant for former justice deputy minister
The district court in Warsaw rejected a request to overturn the European arrest warrant against Marcin Romanowski, a former deputy justice minister, who is suspected of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Warsaw court upholds European arrest warrant for former justice deputy minister
The district court in Warsaw refused on Friday to nullify the European arrest warrant issued against Marcin Romanowski, the former deputy justice minister in the previous government. This decision allows prosecutors to continue efforts to bring him back to Poland, where he is to face corruption charges.
Judge Anna Ptaszek, the court's press spokesperson, informed that the court rejected a request from Romanowski's defence counsel to overturn the warrant. This case is part of a broader political conflict between the current ruling coalition and the former Law and Justice party (PiS).
Romanowski is being sought by Polish prosecutors in connection with suspicions of irregularities in the management of the Justice Fund, a public fund designated to support crime victims. Investigators are accusing him, among other things, of misappropriation of public funds in awarding grants from this fund. The former deputy minister denies all charges and claims the investigation is politically motivated.
Polish authorities issued the European arrest warrant after Romanowski failed to appear before prosecutors. Since then, he has obtained political asylum in Hungary, which complicates his extradition to Poland.
The court's decision means that the arrest warrant remains valid throughout the European Union, despite Hungary having so far refused to hand over Romanowski to Polish authorities.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)