CENTRAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU always in the interest of Poland Indictment Against 29 Individuals in the Collegium Humanum Case - News

During the investigation, supervised by the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, officers of the CBA Regional Office in Rzeszów obtained information indicating suspected issuance of unreliable documents confirming completion of studies at Collegium Humanum. Among the defendants are former and current politicians, members of parliament, professors, lecturers and rectors of higher education institutions, entrepreneurs, and officers of the State Fire Service.

Criminal Group

Through evidence obtained by the CBA and the prosecutor, the actual scale of the criminal activity at Collegium Humanum in Warsaw was revealed.

A large volume of documentation related to MBA postgraduate programmes was secured, and the investigation was eventually expanded to include other areas of the institution’s operations. The evidence gathered by the CBA indicated numerous irregularities in the implementation of other programmes as well.

According to the findings, from August 2018, Paweł Cz. and others participated in a range of crimes involving the acceptance of financial and personal benefits in exchange for issuing fraudulent documents, including certificates of course completion and diplomas for undergraduate, second-cycle, and long-cycle master’s programmes, as well as postgraduate certificates.

The composition and methods of operation of the criminal group were confirmed by witnesses, and later by some of the suspects. Based on the evidence, including expert handwriting analyses, the authenticity of signatures made by the accused was confirmed.

The investigation also exposed corruption schemes at additional universities, involving the transfer of financial benefits by rectors or their representatives in exchange for obtaining accreditation for new study programmes without meeting the required criteria.

Effective Recruitment

According to the CBA investigation, Paweł Cz. established contacts with representatives of the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA) and learned about corruption mechanisms related to issuing documents confirming completion of studies. This enabled the founding of Collegium Humanum and eventually led to the creation of an organized criminal group.

Collegium Humanum offered, among others, Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) postgraduate programmes. These were intended for senior executives, members of statutory bodies of commercial companies and state-owned enterprises, board directors, and managers.

The investigation revealed a highly serious criminal scheme involving the documentation of fictitious studies and issuance of unreliable certificates. This was possible due to the involvement of the rector of Collegium Humanum, its staff, and other individuals, including public officials in state and local government institutions.

Student recruitment was handled by so-called “recruiters,” who held extensive contacts and a strong social position. It was established that Collegium Humanum worked with approximately thirty recruiters.

Influence in the Polish Accreditation Committee

One of the accused is Artur G., who, as Director of the Office and Secretary of the Social Sciences Team at PKA, claimed to have influence within the institution and demanded and accepted financial benefits totaling more than PLN 900,000 from rector Paweł Cz. in exchange for securing favourable decisions for Collegium Humanum. As part of the corruption arrangement, Artur G. also arranged fictitious employment for his wife at Collegium Humanum, for which she received nearly PLN 278,000. This operation was closely linked to the submission of numerous applications by Collegium Humanum to PKA for approval of new study programmes across several new branches.

The investigation revealed further cases in which Artur G. accepted bribes. By invoking his influence in PKA between 2016 and 2024, he accepted financial benefits exceeding PLN 2 million from other defendants representing various higher education institutions. It was confirmed that such benefits were paid by representatives of:

1. The University of Humanities in Szczecin;

2. The University of Management in Konin;

3. The Polish Academy of Diaspora in Częstochowa;

4. The University of Public and Individual Security in Kraków;

5. The University of Internal Security in Łódź;

6. The Academy of Applied Sciences in Wrocław;

7. The University of Social Sciences in Łódź;

8. The University of Social and Economic Sciences in Gdańsk;

9. The Jagiellonian University in Toruń;

10. The Upper Silesian University named after Wojciech Korfanty in Katowice.

MBA Diplomas and Fraud

The indictment also includes corruption incidents and falsification of documents confirming that Jacek S. completed MBA postgraduate studies.

Investigators established that in early 2020, Paweł Cz. met Marian D., a sports official, who indicated that Jacek S. wished to obtain an MBA diploma without attending classes.

In June 2020, Jacek S. received a postgraduate certificate without having completed the studies. In exchange, Paweł Cz. received a position on the programme council of the Wrocław Technology Park. Documentation showed that, based on service contracts, Paweł Cz. received a total of PLN 75,000 from the Wrocław Technology Park by June 2022 for consultancy services which he did not actually perform.

Evidence also indicates that Jacek S. used the fraudulent MBA diploma to obtain financial benefits of more than PLN 495,000 by serving on boards of various municipal entities across Poland where possessing an MBA was a requirement.

Joint Academic Projects and Alleged Education Costs

The investigation also uncovered crimes committed by Mariusz F. and Wojciech J., who promised to provide personal benefits to the former rector of Collegium Humanum by cooperating on joint projects with the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw. In exchange for violating the law, Andrzej B. and Krzysztof H.—the former Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander of the State Fire Service—received fraudulent postgraduate MBA certificates.

The Fire Service commanders also paid Paweł Cz. PLN 1,100 and PLN 9,900, knowing that these payments were for obtaining MBA diplomas without completing the programme.

Andrzej B. and Krzysztof H. misappropriated PLN 9,900 belonging to the State Fire Service Headquarters in Warsaw. The misappropriation resulted from a funding agreement for covering the costs of postgraduate MBA studies provided by Collegium Humanum.

Diplomas, Scholarships, and Money Laundering

The CBA investigation also uncovered evidence relating to former Member of the European Parliament Ryszard Cz., who requested the rector to arrange postgraduate diplomas for his wife, Emilia H., confirming completion of Executive MBA, Agribusiness Management, and Master of Laws programmes. These documents were issued despite the fact that Emilia H. had not completed the studies.

The MEP invoked his influence in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and promised support for Collegium Humanum in Uzbekistan.

Additionally, in return for assistance, Ryszard Cz. and Emilia H. demanded financial benefits in the form of fictitious employment for Emilia H. at Collegium Humanum. The institution regularly transferred salary payments to her, totalling at least PLN 92,221. The “scholarship” served as money laundering by legalizing funds obtained through corruption.

The indictment also concerns MEP Karol K., whom Paweł Cz. approached in April 2019 requesting assistance in reviewing an opinion prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the establishment of Collegium Humanum branches in Prague, Bratislava, and Uzbekistan.

The MEP, invoking his influence in the MFA, agreed to act as an intermediary. In return, the former rector arranged payments totalling PLN 36,955 for a survey report and billboard advertisements used during Karol K.’s European Parliament election campaign.

Additional Defendants

The investigation also revealed circumstances indicating that Błażej S. provided financial and personal benefits to the rector of Collegium Humanum in exchange for issuing fraudulent postgraduate diplomas for himself and his wife, Sandra S.

Błażej S. obtained two fraudulent diplomas: MBA and MBA in Agribusiness Management. He transferred a total of PLN 16,930 to Collegium Humanum as tuition fees, which constituted bribery in this context.

He used the fraudulent diplomas when applying for employment at ORLEN S.A.

Furthermore, in exchange for his wife obtaining an MBA diploma, the defendant provided personal benefits to Paweł Cz., including supporting his candidacy for the National Development Council under the President of Poland and assisting in obtaining a state honour. Additionally, Sandra S. used the MBA diploma while serving on the supervisory boards of the Military Central Design and Technology Bureau in Warsaw and the Specialist Hospital in Zabrze, thereby unlawfully obtaining over PLN 56,000 in remuneration.

Partial Conclusion of the Investigation

The indictment, prepared on 26 October 2025 by the prosecutor of the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, marks a partial conclusion of the investigation. Other parts of the case remain ongoing. So far, 389 charges have been brought against 78 suspects, 13 of whom were temporarily detained. Prosecutors applied 187 preventive measures. The value of secured assets exceeded PLN 176 million.

The indictment covers a total of 67 corruption-related offences, as well as charges of falsifying documents relating to the course of studies at Collegium Humanum, fraud, and money laundering. The indictment and its attachments comprise 623 pages.

Some of the defendants have admitted to the charges and declared their willingness to accept sentences agreed with the prosecutor.

Depending on the offences committed, the defendants face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

CBA Press Office