Arrests in the Defence Industry
Officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau have detained two more individuals in a multi-faceted investigation involving, among other things, fictitious military training ground services. The investigation is supervised by the 8th Military Affairs Department of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Kraków.
On 20 October 2026, acting on the orders of a prosecutor from the 8th Military Affairs Department of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Kraków, officers of the CBA Regional Office in Kraków detained an entrepreneur and a former director of a company operating in the defence industry. The operations were carried out in the Podkarpackie and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeships. During searches of the detainees' residences and the registered office of one of the companies under investigation, CBA officers seized documents and electronic storage devices.
Fictitious Invoices and Suspected Corruption
The multi-faceted investigation concerns, among other things, alleged corruption in the defence and military sectors between 2014 and 2022. According to findings by CBA officers, private companies allegedly issued fraudulent invoices over several years for military training ground services, including logistical services, that had never actually been provided.
The investigation also covers suspected giving and accepting of financial benefits, primarily in cash. According to findings by officers of the CBA Regional Office in Kraków, the scheme allegedly involved private entrepreneurs, members of the management boards of state-owned companies belonging to the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), as well as individuals associated with military units and research institutions.
Charges and Preventive Measures
The detainees were brought before the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Kraków. The prosecutor charged them with accepting financial benefits, certifying false information in documents and committing fraud to the detriment of State Treasury companies.
Non-custodial preventive measures were imposed on the suspects, including police supervision, prohibitions on contacting or approaching specified individuals, and financial sureties.
Investigation Ongoing
This is the fourth operation carried out by CBA officers as part of the ongoing criminal investigation. The latest operation concerns irregularities that allegedly occurred between 2017 and 2020.
Further investigative measures are planned.
CBA Appeal
The CBA reminds the public of the possibility of benefiting from the statutory exemption from punishment for bribery. To avoid punishment for giving a financial benefit, a person involved in bribery (Article 229 § 6 of the Polish Penal Code) must:
- Report the offence to the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau or the Prosecutor's Office.
- Disclose all relevant details of the offence.
- Do so before law enforcement authorities learn of their involvement in the offence from another source.
Anyone with information concerning the criminal scheme is encouraged to contact the CBA Regional Office in Kraków at ul. Fabryczna 18, 31-553 Kraków, Poland.
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