A Polish court has ordered that mayor Ludomir Handzel and deputy mayor Artur Bochenek be released immediately after the Central Bureau of Investigation detained them on 21 October.
Immediate Release Ordered by Court
On 25 October, Mayor Ludomir Handzel announced that a court had rejected the prosecutor’s request and ordered the immediate release of himself, Deputy Mayor Artur Bochenek, and four municipal employees detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBA).
Timeline of Arrests
The first detentions occurred on 21 October when CBA arrested five city employees. Over the next days the mayor and his deputy were also taken into custody, each being held at their homes until 6 pm before formal charges were presented.
Allegations of Breach of Authority
Investigators claim that between 29 October and 12 November of the previous year an employee overstepped his authority by disclosing sensitive information to a tender participant, potentially securing a financial gain for the contractor.
The incident involved a procurement for training courses and workshops under the “Development of the Vocational Competency Center in Nowy Sacz”, funded by the European Funds for Podkarpackie 2021‑2027, with losses estimated over 600 k €.
Mayor’s Response
Following the arrests, Mayor Handzel released a statement emphasizing that the CBA had already examined the tender documentation, which had passed earlier oversight by the Marshal’s Office without issue, and criticizing the authorities for targeting officials rather than serious offenders.
He expressed sympathy for the families affected by the “methods” employed in the investigation.
