Max Penalty for Beata Szydło: Prosecutor Fines MEP for Skipping Hearings

The Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów has imposed the maximum financial penalty on MEP Beata Szydło for repeatedly failing to appear as a witness in an ongoing investigation.

Prosecutor Imposes Maximum Fine

The decision to penalize Beata Szydło is not yet final. As announced on Thursday, August 6, by the spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów, Prosecutor Dorota Sokołowska-Mach, the dates for Szydło’s testimony as a witness were scheduled multiple times between May and July.

The prosecutor conducting the investigation took into account the absence of scheduled European Parliament plenary sessions and committee work when setting the subsequent dates, given that the witness is a Member of the European Parliament. The financial penalty imposed on the witness is the maximum amount provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Article 285 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states that a financial penalty of up to 3,000 zlotys may be imposed on a witness, expert, translator, or specialist who fails to appear without proper justification or leaves the proceeding site without permission. The prosecutor noted that the decision is not final and the witness may appeal it to a court.

Investigation Into the Polish National Foundation

Szydło is set to be questioned in an investigation regarding suspected abuse of power and failure to fulfill duties by members of the management board of the Polish National Foundation in 2017. The proceedings focus on the financing mechanism of the “Fair Courts” campaign, which prosecutors estimate may have caused at least 8.4 million zlotys in financial damage to the foundation created by 17 State Treasury companies.

In July, charges in the case were brought against former Polish National Foundation board member Maciej Ś. and former president Cezary J. They are suspected of financing the “Fair Courts” campaign as well as illegal financing of political parties: PiS and Solidarna Polska. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The Polish National Foundation was established in 2016 under legislation passed during the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło. Its statutory goals included promoting Poland’s image abroad, protecting its reputation, and supporting the Polish economy through contributions from 17 state-owned entities totaling 45.5 million zlotys over 10 years.

From Warsaw to Rzeszów: Broadening the Scope

The investigation was initiated in late June 2024 by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw and later transferred to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów, which also examines the 2018 purchase and sale of the yacht I Love Poland for 900,000 euros.

Materials from an earlier Warsaw proceeding regarding the former Prime Minister ordering the foundation to implement the “Justice” program were also merged into the Rzeszów investigation. The matter was featured in the Bodnar report analyzing public interest cases from 2016 to 2023.

Controversies Surrounding the “Fair Courts” Campaign

The 2017 “Fair Courts” campaign sparked public controversy and opposition protests over allegations of funding party propaganda with public money. The campaign included billboards targeting judges and websites promoting government judicial reforms.

The Supreme Audit Office previously criticized the foundation for a lack of ownership oversight, while foundation authorities refused audits by claiming they did not handle public funds, prompting a notification to prosecutors regarding the hindrance of state control.