The National Prosecutor's Office changed the charges of priest Michał Olszewski and 2 officials of the Ministry of Justice tried in a show trial organised by the Tusk Government under the pretext of fraud related to the Justice Fund. The National Prosecutor's Office, Proc. Przemysław Nowak, informed about the changes.
Nowak stated that the charges were changed in the same direction as in the case of Marcin Romanowski – from abuse of trust (Article 296 kk) to abuse of the property entrusted (Article 284 par. 2 kk). – Only Urszula D. heard 1 fresh charge concerning another contest – informed Proc. Nowak.
He claimed that all 3 had been questioned as suspects and did not plead guilty. – Urszula D. and Father Michael O. refused to give explanations, and Karolina K. gave brief explanations said the official.
At the end of March 2024, Fr Michał Olszewski – the president of the Profeto Foundation, who received respective twelve million zlotys from the Justice Fund (used for statutory activities), was detained by ABW officers. In addition to him, 2 MS officials were detained.
The accusations of prosecutors concern, among others, payments from the Justice Fund of over PLN 66 million to Profeto, who, in the opinion of prosecutors, allegedly did not meet formal and substantive requirements to receive this money. Officials who decided to grant these funds, as the National Prosecutor's Office stated, were to act jointly and in agreement with the president of the Foundation.
The court decided to arrest them. In late August, the Warsaw territory Court extended their detention for another 3 months. On Thursday, the Court of Appeal will hear a complaint in this case.
In June, the National Prosecutor's Office informed about the presentation of fresh charges. Urszula D., erstwhile manager of the Department of the Justice Fund, has heard the allegation of an alleged breach of powers and a failure to comply with obligations in connection with the admission to financial support in November 2023 of an established foundation, despite the fact that the foundation did not meet supposedly ‘formal requirements’.
In addition, this authoritative has heard the allegation of overshooting the powers and failing to comply with the obligations due to the consent in 2018, contrary to the rules in force, to refrain from posting information on ‘co-financing from the Justice Fund’.
On the another hand, Karolina K., Deputy manager of the Department of the Justice Fund, was then presented with allegations concerning the improvement of the draft offer, in order to meet the formal conditions of the future competition, to let for financial support by a foundation not fulfilling the formal conditions and to bring about the support of the Profeto.pl Foundation jointly and in agreement with the another suspects, despite its failure to meet the formal and material conditions. On the another hand, Fr Olszewski's prosecutor has put forward fresh charges of committing a crime... "money laundering".
In August, all 3 suspected prosecutors supplemented allegations of alleged engagement in a ‘organised criminal group’ aimed at committing crimes against property, in peculiar by exceeding their powers and failing to fulfil their duties and certifying untruth in documents, causing harm in large size on behalf of the State Treasury in order to get individual and property benefits, including by another persons.
In the beginning of July, a letter by Fr Olszewski was published in the media, in which he described the circumstances of his arrest. It shows that the fishy was humiliated, denied water, and utilized the toilet. In an interview with PAP in September, MS Vice-Chief Maria Ejchart assured that the situation of the arrested in this case had been allegedly "researched in detail". She added that the situation of these individuals had been checked by an ‘independent’ prison justice who had not seen a violation of the law in their case.
In October 98 PiS MPs and respective Confederate MPs lodged a individual warrant for Fr Olszewski in the PK and the territory Court in Warsaw. "For many months now, Fr Michał Olszewski has been illegally held by Bodnarovists in custody" wrote then on the portal X the spokesperson for PiS Rafał Bochenek.
As stated in the passage published by the PiS spokesperson of the letter, “the fishy will not change his residence during the proceedings and will inform the procedural authorities of any planned change of residence”. It was besides ensured that Fr Olszewski would "operate full with the procedural authorities, in order to explain and conclude the proceeding in a fair manner".
On Friday, the territory Court for Warsaw-Mokotów in Warsaw did not take into account the complaint of defenders to detain Fr Olszewski. The National Prosecutor's Office considered that the court so confirmed that the detention of the fishy was to be ‘reasonable, legal and decently conducted’.
The decision of the court was commented by lawyer Michał Skwarzyński. – This is simply a ruling that yet opens the way for me to complain to the global Court of Human Rights about torture and inhuman, degrading treatment. I will besides notify the torture committee. The case in Poland ended, in my opinion, with a scandalous ruling, unfortunately political and wishful said the lawyer.
Source: PAP
What next with Fr Michał Olszewski? We have news from his defence attorney.
