Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek details a massive cryptocurrency fraud scheme in Poland involving over a billion złoty, a missing businessman, and potential ties to Russian organized crime.
Massive Losses and a “Perfect Crime”
According to Minister Żurek, the scale of fraud in the cryptocurrency sector is staggering. Beyond 1.18 billion złoty defrauded through fake platforms, an additional 200 million złoty was directly stolen as digital assets.
The investigation focuses on the Zonda exchange (formerly BitBay) and the disappearance of its first owner, Marek Suszek, who vanished under mysterious circumstances.
Missing Businessman and Potential Mafia Involvement
“We have a man with considerable wealth who suddenly disappears. Monitoring was switched off, and there’s no contact with his family. The family directly says: ‘He was killed, but there’s no body,’” Minister Żurek reported.
The Justice Minister doesn’t rule out professional involvement and points to information suggesting potential funding of the venture by the Russian mafia.
Investigation in Katowice and Flight to Israel
The Katowice Regional Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a multi-faceted investigation. It’s examining not only the losses of hundreds of victims but also alleged illegal lobbying and financial connections to foundations linked to politicians, including Zbigniew Ziobro and Przemysław Wipler.
Key Figure Flees to Israel
The current owner of the exchange, Przemysław Kral, is a key figure. Reports indicate he is in Israel and holds a passport from that country. “Israel is a unique country that doesn’t extradite its citizens, but we won’t give up on this case. We will use diplomatic channels and extradition requests,” the Minister stated, adding that police “Shadow Hunters” may be involved.
Criticism of the President and Allegations of Cover-Up
Minister Żurek openly criticizes President Karol Nawrocki’s stance, alleging that representatives from the President’s office within the Security Committee were fully aware of the irregularities in the cryptocurrency market, yet the President is blocking mechanisms to protect citizens.
Controversy Over WSI Report Annex Publication
Further tension arises from the planned publication of an annex to the report on the liquidation of WSI (Military Intelligence Service). “In a situation of hybrid warfare, revealing data of our own services is extremely irresponsible. They’ll be opening champagne in the Kremlin, just like with the publications of Minister Macierewicz,” Żurek assessed.
The Minister warned that if the publication compromises national security, the prosecution will investigate it as an abuse of power.
