Janusz Palikot will remain in custody. However, he has more time to pay the PLN 2 million bail

The decision was made on Monday before the District Court in Warsaw. Application for extension of detention for Janusz Palikot On December 18, a prosecutor from the Lower Silesian Branch Department of the National Prosecutor's Office in Wrocław submitted a request for another three months to the District Court in Warsaw.

A Warsaw court decided that the former MP and businessman would remain in custody.

– The court accepted our request in full. He found that there was both a general premise, i.e. the likelihood of committing the alleged acts, as well as the fear of fraud, the risk of a high penalty and hiding – said prosecutor Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska from the press team of the National Prosecutor's Office. – The court reintroduced conditional arrest if the suspect pays PLN 2 million by January 31 – she added.

The so-called temporary conditional arrest means that its change depends on the submission of a property bond.

– This amount (PLN 2 million – editor) is currently in dispute because as of today, such amount has not been obtained. There is additional time for this and I hope that during this time it will be possible to collect such funds, because the assets of Mr. Janusz Palikot and his family do not allow for the payment of this guarantee, some external help is necessary, which the family will try to provide so that Mr. Palikot he could leave custody as soon as possible – said Jacek Dubois, the businessman's defense attorney, on Monday after the meeting.

On December 18, the District Court in Wrocław, considering the appeal of Palikot's defense to extend the pre-trial detention of the former MP until January 1, decided that he could be released from detention after paying PLN 2 million bail. The court set the deadline for paying the bail by December 26. Palikot's family and friends did not manage to collect such a large amount.

Janusz Palikot (agrees to the publication of the image and data), Przemysław B. and Zbigniew B. were detained on October 3 by CBA in Lublin and Biłgoraj. On the same day, they were taken to the department of the National Prosecutor's Office in Wrocław, where they were charged.

Palikot was charged with eight charges, including seven of fraud and one of misappropriating property. His colleagues, Przemysław B. and Zbigniew B., were also charged with fraud. Additionally, Przemysław B. was charged with misappropriation of property. The prosecutor's office applied preventive measures against them. The case concerns the unfavorable disposal of the property of several thousand people for the amount of nearly PLN 70 million in connection with the activities of companies belonging to the suspects.

The allegations cover the years 2019-2023.

As previously reported by prosecutor Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska, the fraud charges brought against the suspects concern causing over five thousand victims to unfavorably dispose of their property in connection with the issue of series B shares by companies from the Capital Group – belonging to the suspects – and campaigns organized, promoted and supervised by the suspects loans.

According to the prosecutor's office, the offering documents regarding the issue of shares and loan campaigns presented false information that was misleading to the victims as to how the money paid by investors was used and as to the actual financial condition of the companies.

– The invested funds were not intended for the purposes indicated in the issue documents, but were spent to cover the previous liabilities of companies from the capital group that were in a bad financial situation – said prosecutor Calów-Jaszewska.

The prosecutor also announced that the allegation of misappropriation concerns alcoholic beverages with a total value of over PLN 5 million.

– The suspects stored alcoholic beverages in their warehouses in connection with a cooperation agreement concluded with one of the companies. After terminating the contract, they did not return the goods and sold them to third parties, she added.

According to the prosecutor's office, all suspects provided extensive explanations. Investigators do not disclose them. The most severe penalty for the crimes Palikot is accused of is 20 years in prison.

Mec. Jacek Dubois, Palikot's second defense attorney, announced earlier that his client pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. He argued that the case in which Palikot was charged had been ongoing for a year. The investigation into this case is being conducted by the Lower Silesian Branch of the Department of Organized Crime and Corruption in Wrocław.