Polish prosecutor issues warrant for former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro who faces 26 corruption charges.
Warrant Issued
Prosecutor Przemysław Nowak, spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, announced on Friday, February 6, that a warrant has been issued for the search of Zbigniew Ziobro. The searches will be carried out by the Metropolitan Police Command.
The investigators had announced the issuance of the warrant the previous week, after the District Court for Warsaw-Mokotów issued an order for the temporary arrest of the suspect for a period of 3 months from the date of his detention. The judge emphasized that Ziobro has had his parliamentary immunity revoked.
Defense Plans Appeal
Bartosz Lewandowski, a lawyer for the Law and Justice politician, informed that the court stipulated that upon his arrest, Zbigniew Ziobro will be transferred to a correctional facility. In his opinion, issuing a warrant for Minister Ziobro serves no other purpose than to politically exploit the case.
Regarding the European Arrest Warrant, the lawyer stated that he had filed a request to suspend the enforcement of this ruling.
26 Charges and 25-Year Sentence
The National Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that in the proceedings regarding irregularities in the Justice Fund, evidence has been gathered that suggests “suspicion of 26 qualified acts of exceeding powers and failing to perform duties by a public official” by Zbigniew Z.
The charges that the prosecution wants to bring against the Law and Justice politician include, among others, creating and leading an organized criminal group and embezzling money from the Justice Fund. Ziobro faces a total sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
