The Central Anticorruption Bureau has detained former MP Jacek Ż. as part of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigation into alleged irregularities at the National Centre for Research and Development.
Detention of Former Official
According to Radio Zet journalist Mariusz Gierszewski, the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) has detained former MP Jacek Ż. The former official was a co-founder of Poland Together and Jarosław Gowin’s Agreement party, serving in the Sejm from the sixth through ninth terms. Between 2020 and 2023, he served as a Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy in the Mateusz Morawiecki government.
Investigation Into NCBR Irregularities
TVN24.pl journalist Robert Zieliński reports that the detention is connected to an ongoing probe by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding financial mismanagement at the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR). Jacek Ż. resigned from his government post in 2023 following the emergence of the scandal.
Supreme Audit Office Findings
The Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw launched an investigation in March 2024 following a report from the Supreme Audit Office (NIK). NIK identified significant irregularities in the organization of grant applications and project selection for the “Fast Track – Digital Innovations” competition, noting that the NCBR failed to follow its own internal regulations.
European Prosecutor Takes Over
In June 2025, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw transferred two investigations concerning NCBR programs, valued at a combined 200 million PLN, to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. These programs involved European Union funds, and both Adam Bielan and Jacek Ż. have been questioned in connection with the ongoing inquiries.
