On December 11, Polish government spokesman Adam Szłapka announced that National Institute of Freedom director Robert Bąkiewicz must repay about 383,000 zlotys after revelations of financial irregularities.
Government Spokesman Announces Repayment Demand
Adam Szłapka announced on Thursday, December 11, that the director of the National Institute of Freedom called on Robert Bąkiewicz and his association “Rota Marszu Niepodległości” to repay more than 383,000 zlotys. In a post on X, the spokesman explained that the audit revealed numerous irregularities, including lack of evidence of service delivery, missing payment documentation, and a fictitious office.
Bosak Criticizes Mismanagement
Konfederacji MP Krzysztof Bosak said that they had warned Bąkiewicz repeatedly. After several years of receiving government grants, he left the Association with empty accounts, debts, and severe bookkeeping negligence. The team led by Bartosz Malewski eventually cleaned up the mess and repaid everything, but it took them two years. Bosak highlighted that internal audits by Marcin Białasek exposed a funding carousel among entities financed by government‑linked sources, culminating in a detailed report to the prosecutor’s office covering about a dozen legal violations.
He also warned that not every right‑wing echo is worth defending and urged people to question former close collaborators such as Jerzy Wasiukiewicz and Mariusz Piotrowski.
Prosecutor’s Office Charges Bąkiewicz With Five Accusations
On Wednesday, Bąkiewicz was questioned by the Gorzyce district prosecutor’s office, which brought five charges against him, the most serious carrying a potential ten‑year prison sentence. Allegations include defamation of public officials – judges and prosecutors – and incitement of hatred on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, and race. Preventive measures such as police monitoring and a ban on approaching Polish‑German border crossings within one kilometre have been imposed.
