“If they grab your hand, you say it's not your hand,” said Robert Korzeniowski, Olympic champion and advisor to the Minister of Sport, in “Fakty po Faktach” on TVN24, “quoting the classic.” Leszek Blanik, president of the Polish Gymnastics Association and member of the Polish Olympic Committee's presidium, said that financial issues in the Polish Olympic Committee “raise very serious doubts.”
On Thursday, the Sejm held a meeting of the Committee on Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism to discuss the situation in the Polish Olympic Committee. For a long time, there have been growing controversies regarding, among others, finances of this organization. A notification was sent to the prosecutor's office about the possibility of committing the so-called VAT crime by the head of the Polish Olympic Committee, Radosław Piesiewicz. Doubts also concern, among others, correctness of decision-making on the remuneration of the POC management board members, headed by President Piesiewicz, who – unlike his predecessors – would not perform this function socially. The media revealed that the president earned up to PLN 100,000 a month at his peak.
Blanik: Unfortunately, we find out about many things after the fact
Leszek Blanik, Olympic champion, president of the Polish Gymnastics Association and member of the Polish Olympic Committee presidium, commented on this matter in “Fakty po Faktach”. – I think that all the things that have been happening since the Olympic Games, these issues regarding the POC's finances, raise a lot of doubts – he said. He explained that “he is among those members of the management board and the presidium who notice this and have major comments on the functioning (of the Committee – ed.).”
Leszek Blanik and Robert Korzeniowski are guests of “Faktów po Faktach” on TVN24
When asked why Radosław Piesiewicz is the first president to earn so much, Blanik replied: – Unfortunately, we, as the Polish Olympic Committee presidium, had some problems and did not receive detailed information about the president's remuneration.
He also referred to the report of the Polish Olympic Committee's Audit Committee, which was prepared on December 4 last year based on the management board's resolution of August 20, 2024. He admitted that “we haven't had this report so far.” – Unfortunately, we find out about many things after the fact – he said.
Korzeniowski “quotes a classic”
The host of the program, Piotr Marciniak, recalled that Piesiewicz reacted to possible allegations with a statement in which he wrote that they were untrue, and the manner of action of the Minister of Sport Sławomir Nitras “fits into the darkest years of authoritarianism.”
– I will quote a classic from the party to which President Piesiewicz was very close, at least in business terms. That “if they grab your hand, you say it is not your hand” – said Robert Korzeniowski, Olympic champion and advisor to the Minister of Sport for sports strategy.
– Mr. Piesiewicz, earning PLN 100,000 a month, according to some estimates, after taking one and a half million in his salary, today has a problem with paying Olympic bonuses to athletes – emphasized Korzeniowski.
“We can't continue like this”
– This is certainly a very embarrassing topic for the POC, also for us and for me personally, because I was an athlete myself and I realize that these awards should have been handed over here a long time ago – said Blanik.
– I believe that we, as members of the Polish Olympic Committee, should now discuss very strongly and quickly what to do next. Because we can't continue like this, he said.