Corruption charges against rectors
Officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained two rectors of the private universities in Konin and Szczecin, as well as the former rector of the Polonia Academy in Częstochowa. The investigation is supervised by the Silesian Field Division of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice.
Officers of the Regional Office of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau in Rzeszów are conducting a multithreaded investigation into, among others, the activities of an organised criminal group, the members of which, in exchange for accepting financial and personal benefits, issued documents, related to university degrees and MBA diplomas, entitling them to sit on supervisory boards of companies with State Treasury shareholding.
Rectors of Private Universities Detained
On 6 June 2024, officers from the Regional Office of the CBA in Rzeszów, detained three men in Zachodniopomorskie, Śląskie and Wielkopolskie Voivodeships, associated with the academic environment of non-public higher education institutions. The detainees are: Andrzej K., former rector of the Polonia Academy in Częstochowa, Waldemar U. , rector of the School of Higher Education in Humanities of the Association for Adult Education in Szczecin, and Marek W., rector of the Higher School of Management Personnel in Konin.
The evidence shows that these persons, acting at short intervals, performing a premeditated intention, gave a financial benefit to a person representing the Polish Accreditation Committee in connection with the performance of a public function. The aim of the criminal activity was to illegally influence decisions concerning higher education institutions managed by the detained rectors. The case involves threads related to inspections and applications considered by the Polish Accreditation Committee against these higher education institutions.
CBA officers searched the places of residence of the detained men. Their offices at universities in Konin and Szczecin were also searched. Officers secured electronic data carriers and documentation of evidential value.
Preventive Measures Applied
The detainees were brought to the Silesian Field Division of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice. The Prosecutor presented them with charges of bribery (Article 229 § 1 and § 4 of the Penal Code) and trading in influence (Article 230a § 1 of the Penal Code).
Against one of the suspects, the Prosecutor applied preventive measures in the form of a property surety in the amount of PLN 50,000 and police supervision combined with a prohibition on contacting certain persons directly or indirectly.
With regard to the remaining suspects, the Prosecutor applied for a preventive measure in the form of temporary detention.
The court endorsed the Prosecutor’s request with regard to the former rector and decided on his temporary detention for a period of two months.
With regard to the second suspect, who changed his previously presented statement to the Court, the Court decided to apply non-custodial preventive measures in the form of police supervision, a ban on leaving the country combined with the confiscation of his passport and a property surety in the amount of PLN 100,000.
The Case is Ongoing
This is the third procedural implementation in the pre-trial investigation conducted by officers of Regional Office of the CBA in Rzeszów in the case concerning the trade in diplomas of the non-public university Collegium Humanum. An extensive amount of evidence has been collected in the case. Further implementations are planned.
CBA Press Team
