Jacek Ż., a former deputy minister and member of parliament, has been charged with abuse of power, failure to perform duties, and attempted fraud involving high-value assets after his arrest by the CBA.
Charges Against Jacek Ż.
Jacek Ż. and six other individuals have been formally charged with abuse of power, failure to perform duties, and attempted fraud regarding significant assets. The charges were confirmed on Friday, May 22, by Radio ZET investigative journalist Mariusz Gierszewski.
CBA Investigation into NCBiR
The arrest, first reported on Thursday, relates to an ongoing investigation into irregularities at the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR). The inquiry follows a notification from the Supreme Audit Office (NIK), which identified numerous irregularities in projects carried out by the center.
Political Career Background
Jacek Ż. was a founder of Poland Together and Jarosław Gowin’s Agreement party. Between 2007 and 2013, he served as a Civic Platform MP before aligning with parties in coalition with Law and Justice. He was elected to the Sejm from PiS lists in 2015 and 2019, later serving as undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy from 2020 to 2023.
Resignation and Co-defendants
Jacek Ż. resigned in 2023 following the emergence of the NCBiR scandal, with the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw opening an investigation in March 2024. Reports indicate that Piotr M., the former president of a company that received 123 million PLN from NCBiR for a submarine cybersecurity fiber-optic project, was also detained by the CBA.