Poland’s Supreme Audit Office found nearly 270 million zł in irregular spending in the Justice Fund managed by the Ministry of Justice.
Gross Irregularities Found
The Supreme Audit Office (NIK) announced the results of a control in the Justice Fund in a Monday communiqué. The audit covered the period from January 2021 to December 2023 and found that financial management was conducted with a gross violation of public finance principles.
According to NIK, funds intended to help crime victims and former prisoners were spent imprudently and wastefully. The total amount of irregularities detected amounted to nearly 270 million zł.
Legal System Criticized
NIK auditors assessed that legal changes in 2017 expanded the fund’s objectives so much that it lost its special purpose fund characteristics. The Minister of Justice created a non-competitive mode for granting subsidies, allowing funds to be transferred to almost any institution.
The office negatively evaluated actions taken by the Minister of Justice in defining legal and organizational conditions for the fund’s operation. Persons serving as Fund Manager until December 2023 consistently ignored NIK recommendations.
Competition Process Flawed
Competitions for Justice Fund funds were often organized with a gross violation of fair competition principles. Selected applicants received guidance on how to improve their applications, while the minister claimed to support the best quality offers.
NIK determined the competitions were prepared unreliably and failed to ensure objective evaluation. The auditors also noted evidence of exerting influence on competition committees and referring selected offers for re-evaluation.
Ongoing Investigation Against Ziobry
The Justice Fund, established in 1997 to assist crime victims and post-penitentiary reintegration, has an annual budget of several hundred million złoty. The investigation into irregularities has been ongoing since February 2024.
The proceedings involve former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobry and ministry officials suspected of exceeding powers and failing to fulfill obligations in managing fund resources.
